Melba
#11,932 for girls in 2025, 7 births · Last seen for boys in 1941 at #2,872
Given to girls 99.9% of the time
- Peak · girls
- 1924 · 998 births
- Debut · girls
- 7 births
- In top 100 · girls
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 34,873since 1893
Melba over time
Rank among girls' names. Melba has never cracked the top 200 here.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #11,932 | 7 | — | |
| 2024 | #11,122 | 8 | — | |
| 2023 | — | — | ||
| 2022 | #9,056 | 11 | — | |
| 2021 | — | — | ||
| 2020 | #15,088 | 5 | — | |
| 2019 | — | — | ||
| 2018 | — | — | ||
| 2017 | #11,615 | 8 | — | |
| 2016 | #10,113 | 10 | — | |
| 2015 | — | — | ||
| 2014 | #16,513 | 5 | — | |
| 2013 | #16,547 | 5 | — | |
| 2012 | — | — | ||
| 2011 | — | — | ||
| 2010 | — | — | ||
| 2009 | #15,242 | 6 | — | |
| 2008 | #15,405 | 6 | — | |
| 2007 | — | — | ||
| 2006 | — | — | ||
| 2005 | — | — | ||
| 2004 | #11,624 | 8 | — | |
| 2003 | — | — | ||
| 2002 | #12,187 | 7 | — | |
| 2001 | #13,521 | 6 | — | |
| 2000 | #6,208 | 17 | — | |
| 1999 | #9,479 | 9 | — | |
| 1998 | #9,260 | 9 | — | |
| 1997 | #9,802 | 8 | — | |
| 1996 | #8,812 | 9 | — | |
| 1995 | #8,079 | 10 | — | |
| 1994 | #5,713 | 16 | — | |
| 1993 | #8,052 | 10 | — | |
| 1992 | #5,484 | 17 | — | |
| 1991 | #5,181 | 18 | — | |
| 1990 | #4,230 | 23 | — | |
| 1989 | #4,248 | 22 | — | |
| 1988 | #3,893 | 23 | — | |
| 1987 | #2,780 | 35 | — | |
| 1986 | #3,203 | 28 | — | |
| 1985 | #4,282 | 18 | — | |
| 1984 | #3,069 | 28 | — | |
| 1983 | #2,516 | 36 | — | |
| 1982 | #2,645 | 35 | — | |
| 1981 | #2,409 | 40 | — | |
| 1980 | #2,189 | 46 | — | |
| 1979 | #2,112 | 47 | — | |
| 1978 | #1,707 | 61 | — | |
| 1977 | #1,922 | 51 | — | |
| 1976 | #1,568 | 64 | — | |
| 1975 | #1,481 | 69 | — | |
| 1974 | #1,499 | 65 | — | |
| 1973 | #1,231 | 85 | — | |
| 1972 | #1,030 | 113 | — | |
| 1971 | #1,266 | 87 | — | |
| 1970 | #1,201 | 94 | — | |
| 1969 | #1,276 | 77 | — | |
| 1968 | #1,210 | 81 | — | |
| 1967 | #997 | 105 | — | |
| 1966 | #900 | 125 | — | |
| 1965 | #829 | 144 | — | |
| 1964 | #869 | 142 | — | |
| 1963 | #760 | 183 | — | |
| 1962 | #759 | 188 | — | |
| 1961 | #669 | 238 | — | |
| 1960 | #633 | 255 | — | |
| 1959 | #612 | 265 | — | |
| 1958 | #575 | 294 | — | |
| 1957 | #484 | 388 | — | |
| 1956 | #495 | 358 | — | |
| 1955 | #446 | 404 | — | |
| 1954 | #412 | 439 | — | |
| 1953 | #395 | 460 | — | |
| 1952 | #448 | 368 | — | |
| 1951 | #399 | 423 | — | |
| 1950 | #403 | 393 | — | |
| 1949 | #379 | 427 | — | |
| 1948 | #370 | 454 | — | |
| 1947 | #349 | 523 | — | |
| 1946 | #325 | 529 | — | |
| 1945 | #306 | 502 | — | |
| 1944 | #287 | 565 | — | |
| 1943 | #284 | 597 | — | |
| 1942 | #273 | 648 | — | |
| 1941 | #242 | 715 | #2,872 | 7 |
| 1940 | #232 | 731 | — | |
| 1939 | #213 | 781 | — | |
| 1938 | #205 | 850 | — | |
| 1937 | #212 | 789 | — | |
| 1936 | #225 | 721 | #2,854 | 7 |
| 1935 | #225 | 758 | — | |
| 1934 | #223 | 771 | — | |
| 1933 | #217 | 776 | #3,642 | 5 |
| 1932 | #207 | 873 | — | |
| 1931 | #217 | 770 | #2,864 | 8 |
| 1930 | #210 | 862 | — | |
| 1929 | #217 | 817 | #3,959 | 5 |
| 1928 | #214 | 868 | — | |
| 1927 | #213 | 892 | #3,780 | 6 |
| 1926 | #208 | 918 | — | |
| 1925 | #210 | 938 | — | |
| 1924 | #202 | 998 | #4,347 | 5 |
| 1923 | #211 | 922 | — | |
| 1922 | #208 | 929 | — | |
| 1921 | #210 | 910 | #2,986 | 9 |
| 1920 | #210 | 907 | — | |
| 1919 | #221 | 791 | — | |
| 1918 | #219 | 822 | — | |
| 1917 | #234 | 701 | — | |
| 1916 | #251 | 581 | — | |
| 1915 | #264 | 493 | — | |
| 1914 | #278 | 352 | — | |
| 1913 | #285 | 274 | — | |
| 1912 | #311 | 218 | — | |
| 1911 | #328 | 146 | — | |
| 1910 | #305 | 160 | — | |
| 1909 | #323 | 123 | — | |
| 1908 | #345 | 106 | — | |
| 1907 | #324 | 113 | — | |
| 1906 | #337 | 98 | — | |
| 1905 | #334 | 102 | — | |
| 1904 | #412 | 61 | — | |
| 1903 | #478 | 45 | — | |
| 1902 | #545 | 35 | — | |
| 1901 | #509 | 36 | — | |
| 1900 | #509 | 44 | — | |
| 1899 | #430 | 46 | — | |
| 1898 | #396 | 60 | — | |
| 1897 | #477 | 36 | — | |
| 1896 | #514 | 33 | — | |
| 1895 | #725 | 19 | — | |
| 1894 | #782 | 15 | — | |
| 1893 | #1,175 | 7 | — | |
| 1892 | — | — | ||
| 1891 | — | — | ||
| 1890 | — | — | ||
| 1889 | — | — | ||
| 1888 | — | — | ||
| 1887 | — | — | ||
| 1886 | — | — | ||
| 1885 | — | — | ||
| 1884 | — | — | ||
| 1883 | — | — | ||
| 1882 | — | — | ||
| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | — | — | ||
The first year at least five girls were named Melba! It came in at #1,175, and was given to 7 baby girls.
Quietest stretch: 2003, when fewer than 5 girls a year got the name.
Where Melba is popular in 1933
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Arkansas#58 · 1 in 251
- Texas#72 · 1 in 341
- Oklahoma#82 · 1 in 359
- Vermont#91 · 1 in 386
- Kansas#107 · 1 in 459
Best ever in a state: #30 in Utah, 1910.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | #58 | 73 | 1 in 251 |
| Texas | #72 | 160 | 1 in 341 |
| Oklahoma | #82 | 61 | 1 in 359 |
| Vermont | #91 | 6 | 1 in 386 |
| Kansas | #107 | 28 | 1 in 459 |
| Missouri | #121 | 50 | 1 in 524 |
| Oregon | #134 | 8 | 1 in 583 |
| Louisiana | #135 | 39 | 1 in 489 |
| Georgia | #140 | 47 | 1 in 612 |
| Alabama | #151 | 42 | 1 in 653 |
| Utah | #173 | 6 | 1 in 733 |
| Tennessee | #174 | 30 | 1 in 855 |
| Mississippi | #184 | 24 | 1 in 846 |
| North Carolina | #184 | 34 | 1 in 1,012 |
| Illinois | #202 | 31 | 1 in 1,552 |
| Florida | #203 | 12 | 1 in 935 |
| Indiana | #210 | 13 | 1 in 1,650 |
| Colorado | #240 | 5 | 1 in 1,519 |
| California | #302 | 14 | 1 in 2,350 |
| Iowa | #319 | 5 | 1 in 3,445 |
| West Virginia | #324 | 6 | 1 in 2,742 |
| Virginia | #331 | 7 | 1 in 3,232 |
| Kentucky | #355 | 8 | 1 in 3,248 |
| South Carolina | #384 | 5 | 1 in 4,024 |
| Michigan | #446 | 5 | 1 in 6,952 |
| Pennsylvania | #449 | 8 | 1 in 8,577 |
| New York | #474 | 10 | 1 in 8,267 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Ohio | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Melba
- 810 spots since 2024 (#11,122 → #11,932)
- 3,156 spots since 2020 (#15,088 → #11,932)
- Biggest jump: 393 spots in 1894 (#1,175 → #782)
- Biggest drop: 213 spots in 1968 (#997 → #1,210)
- Debuted 1893
- Peaked 1924 at #202 (998 births)
- Births halved by 1948, 24 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 74 yrs · run 1894–1967
- Highest: 1 in 1,222 girls born in 1932 were named Melba (0.08%)
- Latest: 1 in 229,610 girls born in 2025 (0.00%)
- Its best rank, #202 in 1924, was only 1 in 1,251 (0.08%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
- 26.1% of all girls named Melba (9,099) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 216 | #396 (1898) | #643 |
| 1900s | 763 | #323 (1909) | #412 |
| 1910s | 4,538 | #219 (1918) | #270 |
| 1920s | 9,099 | #202 (1924) | #210 |
| 1930s | 7,951 | #205 (1938) | #215 |
| 1940s | 5,691 | #232 (1940) | #305 |
| 1950s | 3,792 | #395 (1953) | #467 |
| 1960s | 1,538 | #633 (1960) | #890 |
| 1970s | 736 | #1,030 (1972) | #1,502 |
| 1980s | 311 | #2,189 (1980) | #3,123 |
| 1990s | 129 | #4,230 (1990) | #7,409 |
| 2000s | 50 | #6,208 (2000) | #12,365 |
| 2010s | 28 | #10,113 (2016) | #13,697 |
| 2020s | 31 | #9,056 (2022) | #11,800 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Melba in 1933
Top girls' names in 1933
Top boys' names in 1933
More about 1933
girls
1,007,932 girls got a published name in 1933; 1 in 1,299 of them was named Melba, which outranked 95.5% of the 4,858 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.8% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
991,524 boys got a published name in 1933; 1 in 198,305 of them was named Melba, which outranked 12.4% of the 4,156 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Tied with 514 names at #3,642; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.