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 1959
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Tennessee#282 · 1 in 2,033
- Texas#296 · 1 in 1,806
- Georgia#301 · 1 in 2,034
- Arkansas#302 · 1 in 1,978
- North Carolina#314 · 1 in 2,337
Best ever in a state: #30 in Utah, 1910.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | #282 | 18 | 1 in 2,033 |
| Texas | #296 | 63 | 1 in 1,806 |
| Georgia | #301 | 22 | 1 in 2,034 |
| Arkansas | #302 | 9 | 1 in 1,978 |
| North Carolina | #314 | 21 | 1 in 2,337 |
| Alabama | #317 | 16 | 1 in 2,212 |
| Mississippi | #387 | 9 | 1 in 2,885 |
| Missouri | #393 | 11 | 1 in 4,090 |
| Louisiana | #410 | 13 | 1 in 3,049 |
| Oklahoma | #417 | 6 | 1 in 3,555 |
| Kentucky | #477 | 6 | 1 in 5,498 |
| Florida | #665 | 6 | 1 in 8,134 |
| Illinois | #808 | 8 | 1 in 13,548 |
| California | #835 | 14 | 1 in 11,882 |
| New York | #1,094 | 7 | 1 in 24,055 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Michigan | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Ohio | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Pennsylvania | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| 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 1959
Top girls' names in 1959
More about 1959
girls
2,023,462 girls got a published name in 1959; 1 in 7,636 of them was named Melba, which outranked 91.5% of the 7,202 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.9% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.