Maliyah

Maliyah is a modern spelling of Malia, the Hawaiian form of Mary. Through that route it belongs to the Miriam name family, whose earliest meaning is uncertain. Bitter and beloved are among proposed explanations of the older name, rather than certain Hawaiian translations of Maliyah itself.

The yah ending changes the written form while commonly keeping Malia's three-syllable sound in English. Its resemblance to Aaliyah may influence the spelling's appeal, but that does not make their meanings interchangeable. Malia is the closest comparison when preserving the Hawaiian form matters, while Maliyah may reflect a relative's spelling or a family's own naming choice.