Maelie
A French feminine name derived from the French word for honey.
Name Census estimates that about 623 living Americans carry the first name Maelie. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Maelie today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Maelie births was 2024 (69 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Maelie. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Maelie with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
623
~ 1 in 550,167 Americans
Peak year
2024
69 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,569
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Maelie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Maelie from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 328 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Maelie remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Maelie by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Maelie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Maelies live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Texas, Indiana recorded the most babies named Maelie, while Utah, New York, Indiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 14 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Maelie
The name Maelie has its origins in the French language and culture. It is a modern variation of the name Maëlle, which itself is derived from the Old French word "maele" meaning "bald." This name was originally given to children who were born bald or with very little hair.
The earliest recorded use of the name Maëlle dates back to the 12th century in Brittany, a region in northwestern France. It was a relatively uncommon name during this time period but gained popularity in the 20th century, particularly in France and Belgium.
One of the earliest known historical references to the name Maëlle can be found in the medieval French epic poem "La Chanson de Roland" (The Song of Roland), which dates back to the late 11th century. In this poem, a character named Maëlle is mentioned as one of the warriors who fought alongside the legendary hero Roland.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Maelie or its variations. Maëlle Ricker (born 1978) is a Canadian snowboarder who won a gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Maëlle Gribaumont (born 1988) is a French professional tennis player who has competed in Grand Slam tournaments.
Maëlle Mahieu (born 1979) is a Belgian actress known for her roles in films such as "Rust and Bone" and "Breathe." Maëlle Ricker (born 1978) is a Canadian snowboarder and Olympic gold medalist. Maëlle Trarieux (born 1994) is a French model and actress who has appeared in various fashion campaigns and television shows.
While the name Maelie is a relatively modern variation, it carries a rich history and cultural significance rooted in the French language and medieval literature. The name's association with children born with little hair has evolved over time, and it has been embraced by families around the world as a unique and beautiful name choice.
People
Maelie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Maelie as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Maelie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Maelie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 623 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Maelie going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 550,167 US residents.
Is Maelie a common name?
We classify Maelie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 628 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Maelie most popular?
The single biggest year for Maelie was 2024, when 69 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Maelie is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Maelie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Maelie a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Maelie in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Maelie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Maelie in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Maelie can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Maelie as a first name?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Maelie, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.