How to say it
MAL · a · chi
ˈmæl.ə.kaɪ
Masculine
Malachi
My messenger
What it means
Hebrew Malʾakhi, 'my messenger.' The last of the twelve minor prophets in the Old Testament; his book is the final book of the Christian Old Testament and prophesies the coming of Elijah before the Day of the Lord.
Malachi comes from the Hebrew Malʾakhi ('my messenger'). The prophet Malachi is the last of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew Bible; his book is also the last book of the Christian Old Testament (the books are ordered differently in the Jewish Tanakh). The book prophesies that Elijah will return before the Day of the Lord, a passage Christians read as a prediction of John the Baptist. The English Malachi has been climbing fast since the 2000s with the broader biblical-name revival. It entered the US top 200 in 2014. Single short forms aren't common; some families use Mal.
How to spell Malachi
The standard spelling is Malachi. Common variants include Malachy, Malakai, but Malachi is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #134 in 2025, currently #134 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
Malachi is the dominant US spelling; Malachy is the Irish form (Saint Malachy was a 12th-century Irish archbishop).
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Malachi (Bible) Last of the twelve minor prophets, his book closes the Christian Old Testament
- Saint Malachy 12th-century Irish archbishop of Armagh
Spelling variants
- Malachy
- Malakai
Names with the same feeling
See Malachi from another angle
By meaning
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Malachi mean?
- Hebrew Malʾakhi, 'my messenger.' The last of the twelve minor prophets in the Old Testament; his book is the final book of the Christian Old Testament and prophesies the coming of Elijah before the Day of the Lord.
- What does Malachi mean in Hebrew?
- In Hebrew, Malachi means "My messenger." Malachi comes from the Hebrew Malʾakhi ('my messenger'). The prophet Malachi is the last of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew Bible; his book is also the last book of the Christian Old Testament (the books are ordered differently in the Jewish Tanakh). The book prophesies that Elijah will return before the Day of the Lord, a passage Christians read as a prediction of John the Baptist. The English Malachi has been climbing fast since the 2000s with the broader biblical-name revival. It entered the US top 200 in 2014. Single short forms aren't common; some families use Mal.
- How do you pronounce Malachi?
- Malachi is pronounced ˈmæl.ə.kaɪ. Say it as MAL-a-chi, with the stress on the "mal" syllable.
- How do you spell Malachi?
- The standard spelling is Malachi. Common spelling variants include Malachy, Malakai.
- Is Malachi a boy or girl name?
- Malachi is traditionally a masculine name.
- How popular is the name Malachi?
- Malachi ranked #134 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.