Malala is a feminine given name of Pashto origin, meaning 'grief-stricken' or 'gloomy'. It is often associated with Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate. The name's popularity has grown globally due to her advocacy work.
The name Malala has seen varied popularity over the years with a peak of 13 births in 2018 and a decline to 6 births each in 2021, 2022, and 2023.