Final answer:
Malala Yousafzai was named after a folk heroine from Pashtun culture, Malalai of Maiwand, a symbol of courage and freedom.
Step-by-step explanation:
Malala Yousafzai, the young activist and Nobel Prize laureate, indicated in her memoir I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban that her father named her after a folk heroine from Pashtun culture. This character symbolized courage and the spirit of freedom, which Malala's father hoped would inspire his daughter as well. The name Malala is derived from Malalai of Maiwand, a famous Pashtun poetess and warrior woman who played a critical role in the Battle of Maiwand during the Second Anglo-Afghan War.