Meaning: Its source is mal'akhi, a Hebrew name meaning "Messenger."

Languages: This boy's name is used in Hebrew and English.

Alternative Spellings: Malachai and Malakhi

Variant Forms: Malachie, Malachy and Malochai

Non-English Forms: Malaquías

Popularity: The name Malachi ranked 256th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics.

Narrative: This was the name of a prophet in the Jewish scriptures.

It is also a place name in modern Israel. The town was not named for the prophet, however. It was established by settlers from the American city of Los Angeles (meaning in Spanish ''the angels''). They chose Malachi as the Hebrew translation of the Spanish name of their former home.