baby name MalachiThe baby Malachi has gone from obscure Old Testament choice to mainstream favorite in just a few decades.

Thanks to Jess for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.

PROPHET and MESSENGER

In the Old Testament, Malachi foretold the coming of Christ.

The Hebrew mal’akh means messenger. While we’ve traditionally interpreted Malachi as a given name, Biblical scholars suggest that’s it might’ve originated as a title. That leaves the author’s identity open to debate.

But we’ve thought of it as a given name across the centuries. When those early Protestants went searching for obscure Old Testament names for their children, they landed on the baby name Malachi.

After all, the prophet wrote to encourage his fellow Israelites to reform their lax, unobservant ways and promising the coming of a messiah: “Return to me, and I will return to you.” It’s the kind of association that would’ve appealed to those reform-minded parents.

MALACHY

Before we talk more about the baby name Malachi, let’s detour to medieval Ireland.

Two high kings of Ireland, the first living circa 800 and the second following about two centuries later, answered to Malachy.

It has nothing to do with the Biblical figure. Instead, it’s the Latinate version of Máel Sechnaill. In turn, Máel Sechnaill meant “follower of Saint Sechnaill.” And Sechnaill? He was one of Saint Patrick’s followers. Appropriately enough, Sechnaill meant “second,” from the Latin Secundus.

So that’s quite the tangled thread. And it’s likely that the spelling of Malachy may have been influenced by the Old Testament figure anyway.

Saint Malachy lived in the early 1000s in Armagh, an ancient city in Northern Ireland. As Archbishop of Armagh, he promoted reforms and established monasteries.

And that makes the baby name Malachi feel maybe a tiny bit Irish-adjacent.

Though it’s worth noting that Malachy is pronounced more like Rafferty or Cassidy – mal ah KEE, rather than mal ah KYE.

BY the NUMBERS

Neither name was especially common in the US. And Malachy remains rare.

But beginning in the late 1980s, the baby name Malachi went from occasionally heard obscurity to rising favorite.

It charted in the US Top 1000 back in 1910 at #970. And then, after many decades’ absence, returned in 1987 at #996. By 1997, the baby name Malachi entered the US Top 500. It climbed for nearly a decade.

In 2010, the baby name Malachi ranked #161. As of 2020, it’s still holding steady in the mid-100s, now at #157.

CHILDREN of the CORN

What explains the big jump?

The late 1980s and 90s would give us a whole new crop of Old Testament names. Joshua and Jacob were fast favorites, but future chart-toppers, like Isaiah and Noah, Ezra and Gideon, were all rising, too.

But as it happens, Stephen King might deserve credit for the rise of the baby name Malachi.

In 1977, he penned a scary short story: A couple driving cross country stops in rural Nebraska. They discover a town where no one is older than 19. It’s a sinister tale of cults and things that go bump in the night.

The tale became a major motion picture in 1984. Malachi, one of the central figures from the story, becomes a terrifying villain, his name oft-repeated throughout the movie.

But there’s a slow and steady increase in the name’s use in the years following Children of the Corn. The movie inspired a series of sequels and prequels and spin-offs. At last count, eleven films have been made in the series.

Of course, the sequels don’t mention Malachi. (Though other Old Testament names, like Micah, Eli, and Josiah do feature in the subsequent films.)

Still, Stephen King’s novels have launched other names – like Gage – so it seems reasonable to tie the baby name Malachi’s rise, at least partially, to the movie.

THE RISE of KAI

The baby name Malachi also benefited from the rise of Kai. A Hawaiian name meaning sea, Kai has gone from edgy rarity to mainstream favorite since the 1990s.

That’s right – the rise of Malachi and Kai happen nearly in sync.

We’ve also seen Malakai enter the US Top 1000 in 2002. As of 2020, this spelling ranks #287.

Kai, of course, stands at #93. Makai, Kaiser, and Zakai all chart in the boys’ Top 1000 as of 2020, and that’s not even considering popular Kai names for girls. Spell it Ky, and the list expands even more, to Kyler, Kyson, Kylo, Kylan, Kyree, and more.

One more Kai-name to consider: Scottish import Kyle became a chart-topping sensation in the mid-1980s into the middle of the 1990s.

The sound was simply inescapable.

STYLISH and SPIRITUAL

Overall, the baby name Malachi hits two distinct, but equally important, notes.

First, the sound is ever so stylish. It’s a longer name for Kai, a distinctively different choice in our age of Elijah and Ezra.

But it’s also rich with meaning. Messenger and prophet are deeply spiritual, but they’re appealing in a secular sense, too.

Combined, it’s no surprise that the baby name Malachi has become a go-to favorite for parents in recent decades. It makes a great formal name for Kai, and serves as an alternative to traditionals like Luke or Top 100 stars like Levi and Asher, too. Plus, a little hint of Irish heritage never hurt a name.

What do you think of the baby name Malachi?

First published December 24, 2008, this post was revised substantially and re-published on August 4, 2021.

baby name Malachi

About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

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What do you think?

9 Comments

  1. Malachi is good as long as you don’t visit Greece. The name comes awfully close to malaka and that’s not good.

  2. I’m most familiar with this name from Frank McCourt’s book and did not know if it was Mala-kai or mala-kee. I like either but prefer Mala-kee. I don’t find the sound too ultra-religious.

  3. I’m always shocked to think of Malachi’s current rank of the SSA, though not because I don’t like it. I do like it! I assume the name would sound too much for most people, similar to Another’s feelings on it. Then again Elijah is around #30 and Josiah a little over #100 if memory serves. Malachi is closer in tone to Ezekiel or Gideon for me. Elijah, Josiah, and Ezra sound much more mainstream IMO. That could be because my nephew is Elijah, my grandfather was Josiah, and my son is Ezra, I suppose. 😀

    1. Lola, you’re brave! I’m freaked out by commercials for scary movies. Though I go see them anyway.

      Photoquilty, I wonder if parents who choose the names really are more religious than most, or if they’re just attracted to the sounds? We’re Catholic, and I know other Catholic families opting for obscure saints’ names – but it’s not about faith as much as it is about the quest for an unusual name that they can explain.

      And Rocking Fetal, it’s funny how that happens. Good friends of mine named their daughter Kayla fairly early in the trend, and I’ve always found the name tolerable.

  4. See, I cut my teeth on “Nosferatu”, “The Hand” (Now, THAT scared me to pieces!) and “The Abominable Dr. Phibes ” So “Children of the Corn” was more fun than scare for me. But then, I love Horror and find myself becoming a bit of a snob about it as I age. Blood & guts aren’t scary, so slasher films are not horror to me. Scare me without grossing me out and you’ll have a fan for life! 🙂

    The last Stephen King to scare the pants off me? “It”. And I swear that was his best piece of work, ever.

  5. Lola, you’re right! I’m guessing the difference is about accents – Malachy is preferred in Ireland, thanks to the saint and the kings. (Frank McCourt’s brother is Malachy.) So they give it a “kee” while we say “ky.” But that’s just a guess – I hadn’t realized there was a difference until you pointed it out. (I’ll have to ask my Irish neighbor!)

    Children of the Corn scared the pants off me, and there’s one part where the name “Malachai” is growled. Honestly, even SAYING this name gives me the shivers.

  6. Malachi’s cool. He doesn’t bothe me any, really. But I do prefer the lighter tones of Malachy. They’re pronounced differently too. Malachi is mal-a kai, malachy is mal-ah-key. I don’t know why I prefer Malachy but I do.

    Back to Malachi. He’s cool. Really cool. And while I think he’s too cool for me, I’d love to see more of him on other people’s kids. He’s three syllable awesomeness. He’s got solid history behind him, he’s strong & handsome too. What’s not to love? Malachi gets a solid :thumbsup: from me!

  7. Yeah, I’d lump this one in with Ezekiel, Josiah, Ezra, and Elijah. It’s just too religious sounding. It seems to be a name that an evangelist might choose for a child. It’s so not me.