Melva

Last seen for girls in 2024 at #15,293 · Last seen for boys in 1941 at #3,133
Given to girls 99.8% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1937 · 300 births
Debut · girls
6 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
14,155
since 1880

Melva over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Melva has never cracked the top 300 here.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201917peak #371, 1937girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025——
2024#15,2935—
2023——
2022——
2021——
2020——
2019——
2018——
2017#15,9025—
2016——
2015——
2014#16,5135—
2013#14,5826—
2012——
2011——
2010——
2009——
2008——
2007#15,4916—
2006#13,6067—
2005#13,0107—
2004#12,7617—
2003——
2002——
2001——
2000#11,8017—
1999#14,4115—
1998——
1997#9,8028—
1996#8,8129—
1995#8,07910—
1994#8,12210—
1993#5,67316—
1992#9,4918—
1991#4,65021—
1990#3,62329—
1989#5,04917—
1988#4,17221—
1987#5,31214—
1986#4,53917—
1985#5,07714—
1984#3,61322—
1983#2,85330—
1982#3,53023—
1981#2,65734—
1980#1,98153—
1979#1,91754—
1978#2,23741—
1977#1,95250—
1976#2,13540—
1975#1,87748—
1974#1,57860—
1973#1,62256—
1972#1,54160—
1971#1,25388—
1970#1,63757—
1969#1,20885—
1968#1,34768—
1967#1,19679—
1966#1,07296—
1965#989110—
1964#1,047107—
1963#1,073101—
1962#957123—
1961#972123—
1960#851149—
1959#941124—
1958#780164—
1957#738185—
1956#677201—
1955#675193—
1954#633207—
1953#613208—
1952#578224—
1951#521253—
1950#566218—
1949#545235—
1948#578210—
1947#535247—
1946#524224—
1945#469233—
1944#482220—
1943#441283—
1942#453264—
1941#424262#3,1336
1940#399290#3,1306
1939#401280#3,4805
1938#378308#3,5345
1937#371300—
1936#384274—
1935#381276—
1934#417246—
1933#407244—
1932#376296—
1931#392277—
1930#407258—
1929#389300—
1928#407276—
1927#405285—
1926#422263#3,1398
1925#416276—
1924#408288—
1923#390291—
1922#430239—
1921#403284—
1920#396279—
1919#418241—
1918#465206—
1917#431220—
1916#416225—
1915#419207—
1914#470135—
1913#461117—
1912#461106—
1911#56457—
1910#48071—
1909#57445—
1908#49354—
1907#50051—
1906#57837—
1905#50645—
1904#52939—
1903#53936—
1902#61229—
1901#63025—
1900#76023—
1899#68021—
1898#82117—
1897#78616—
1896#79017—
1895#78816—
1894#90512—
1893#95510—
1892#63820—
1891#9439—
1890#79112—
1889#83910—
1888#79311—
1887#8608—
1886——
1885——
1884——
1883#9205—
1882——
1881——
1880#7386—
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Melva was already there! It came in at #738, and was given to 6 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1881–1886, when fewer than 6 girls a year got the name.

Where Melva is popular in 1917

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #321 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,083 girlsMNIllinois: #454 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 6,470 girlsILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedWIMichigan: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedMINew York: #469 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 8,837 girlsNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedRIOregon: #187 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 975 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedSDIowa: #251 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 1,875 girlsIAIndiana: #360 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 4,047 girlsINOhio: #309 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 3,621 girlsOHPennsylvania: #296 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 4,062 girlsPANew Jersey: #355 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 5,975 girlsNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #347 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 2,981 girlsCAUtah: #191 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 928 girlsUTColorado: #238 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,468 girlsCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedNEMissouri: #320 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 2,597 girlsMOKentucky: #457 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 4,952 girlsKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedWVVirginia: #338 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,580 girlsVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedNMKansas: #263 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 1,870 girlsKSArkansas: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedARTennessee: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: #481 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 6,301 girlsNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #288 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 1,801 girlsOKLouisiana: #446 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,753 girlsLAMississippi: #418 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,520 girlsMSAlabama: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedALGeorgia: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedHITexas: #519 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 3,939 girlsTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Oregon#187 · 1 in 975
  2. Utah#191 · 1 in 928
  3. Colorado#238 · 1 in 1,468
  4. Iowa#251 · 1 in 1,875
  5. Kansas#263 · 1 in 1,870

Best ever in a state: #107 in Utah, 1913.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Oregon#18751 in 975
Utah#19151 in 928
Colorado#23851 in 1,468
Iowa#251111 in 1,875
Kansas#26381 in 1,870
Oklahoma#288111 in 1,801
Pennsylvania#296231 in 4,062
Ohio#309141 in 3,621
Missouri#320111 in 2,597
Minnesota#32171 in 3,083
Virginia#33871 in 3,580
California#34771 in 2,981
New Jersey#35551 in 5,975
Indiana#36061 in 4,047
Mississippi#41851 in 3,520
Louisiana#44651 in 3,753
Illinois#45491 in 6,470
Kentucky#45751 in 4,952
New York#469111 in 8,837
North Carolina#48151 in 6,301
Texas#519121 in 3,939
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Delaware———
District of Columbia———
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Georgia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
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Michigan———
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Nevada———
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North Dakota———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
South Dakota———
Tennessee———
Vermont———
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 Melva
Momentum · girls
Faded out
  • Not published in 2025; last seen 2024
  • Biggest jump: 305 spots in 1892 (#943 → #638)
  • Biggest drop: 317 spots in 1893 (#638 → #955)
Rise & fade · girls
57 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1937 at #371 (300 births)
  • Births halved by 1959, 22 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 79 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 79 yrs · run 1887–1962
Share of babies · girls
1 in 3,547
  • Highest: 1 in 3,547 girls born in 1937 were named Melva (0.03%)
  • Latest: 1 in 324,038 girls born in 2024 (0.00%)
Era · girls
The 1920s
  • 19.6% of all girls named Melva (2,781) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s40#738 (1880)#830
1890s150#638 (1892)#810
1900s384#493 (1908)#572
1910s1,585#416 (1916)#459
1920s2,781#389 (1929)#407
1930s2,759#371 (1937)#391
1940s2,468#399 (1940)#485
1950s1,977#521 (1951)#672
1960s1,041#851 (1960)#1,071
1970s554#1,253 (1971)#1,775
1980s245#1,981 (1980)#3,878
1990s116#3,623 (1990)#8,074
2000s34#11,801 (2000)#13,334
2010s16#14,582 (2013)#15,666
2020s5#15,293 (2024)#15,293

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.

Melva in 1917

girls
#431
220 births · 1 in 4,915 girls

Top girls' names in 1917

  1. #1Mary64,280
  2. #2Helen34,251
  3. #3Dorothy28,852
  4. #4Margaret25,560
  5. #5Ruth23,568
  6. #6Mildred16,256
  7. #7Anna15,160
  8. #8Elizabeth15,131
  9. #9Frances14,363
  10. #10Virginia14,261
  11. #431Melva220
More about 1917

girls

1,081,267 girls got a published name in 1917; 1 in 4,915 of them was named Melva, which outranked 91.9% of the 5,310 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Melva
  1. #428Robbie225
  2. #429Rowena224
  3. #430Oma223
  4. #431Melva220
  5. #431Jannie220
  6. #433Tommie219
  7. #434Agatha217
  8. #434Beryl217

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1916
Risers
  1. ↑ 549Georgene#1,445 → #896
  2. ↑ 380Ottie#1,332 → #952
  3. ↑ 365Louis#1,298 → #933
  4. ↑ 334Valentine#1,298 → #964
  5. ↑ 322Harold#1,210 → #888
Fallers
  1. ↓ 401Ceola#840 → #1,241
  2. ↓ 373Floretta#964 → #1,337
  3. ↓ 344Buelah#993 → #1,337
  4. ↓ 326Glennie#915 → #1,241
  5. ↓ 290Maye#915 → #1,205

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1917 →