Why 'Malaysia' Is A Popular Baby Name Among Americans
Since 2011, the name 'Malaysia' has consistently been among the top 1,000 most popular names for baby girls in US.
By Mei Mei Chu, Alyssa J. Oon — 17 Jun 2014, 06:45 PM — Updated over 3 years ago
According to the US Social Security Administration, American parents are naming their children 'Malaysia'
Since 2011, the name 'Malaysia' has consistently been among the top 1,000 most popular names for baby girls in US.
The name 'Malaysia' cracked the top 500 most popular female baby names in 2013, and it has stayed in that range up until 2018, before it fell to rank #559 in 2019.
'Malaya' - which was what the country and its surrounding islands were called during the British colonial times - was ranked the 671st most popular name in 2019.
But that's not all – 'Malaysia' is also the most popular country name
Swimmingly previously reported that Malaysia inspired the most baby names for 2013, with a total of 630 girls bearing the name.
Other popular country names included Kenya, America, India, and Ireland.
Why is Malaysia such a popular name? Well, one possible explanation can be traced back to reality TV show Basketball Wives LA star Malaysia Pargo.
At the time of the show's premiere in 2011, Malaysia Pargo had been married to NBA player Jannero Pargo. The couple were married for 10 years before their divorce in 2014.
Malaysia Pargo is a mainstay of the series, and was on Basketball Wives LA for the entirety of its five seasons. She later joined the main series, Basketball Wives, in its sixth season and is set to return for its ninth season.
Interestingly, Malaysia Pargo is merely her stage name. Several reports state that Malaysia's first name is actually 'Laquisha'.
