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#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201939peak #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 1939

  • 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: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedMNIllinois: #394 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 4,884 girlsILWisconsin: #341 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 4,700 girlsWIMichigan: #346 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 4,149 girlsMINew York: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedRIOregon: #150 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 939 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: #292 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,179 girlsIAIndiana: #392 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 5,079 girlsINOhio: #340 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 4,200 girlsOHPennsylvania: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #430 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 4,562 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedCONebraska: #191 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,296 girlsNEMissouri: #255 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 2,063 girlsMOKentucky: #371 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,939 girlsKYWest Virginia: #288 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 2,346 girlsWVVirginia: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedVAMaryland: #210 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 1,503 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: #203 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 925 girlsNMKansas: #181 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 1,118 girlsKSArkansas: #215 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 1,070 girlsARTennessee: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: #333 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 3,071 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #405 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 4,230 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #168 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 834 girlsOKLouisiana: #323 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 2,054 girlsLAMississippi: #352 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 2,755 girlsMSAlabama: #334 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,834 girlsALGeorgia: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedHITexas: #321 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 1,900 girlsTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Melva, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Oregon#150 · 1 in 939
  2. Oklahoma#168 · 1 in 834
  3. Kansas#181 · 1 in 1,118
  4. Nebraska#191 · 1 in 1,296
  5. New Mexico#203 · 1 in 925

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Oregon#15071 in 939
Oklahoma#168241 in 834
Kansas#181111 in 1,118
Nebraska#19171 in 1,296
New Mexico#20361 in 925
Maryland#21081 in 1,503
Arkansas#215171 in 1,070
Missouri#255131 in 2,063
West Virginia#28881 in 2,346
Iowa#29261 in 3,179
Texas#321301 in 1,900
Louisiana#323111 in 2,054
North Carolina#333121 in 3,071
Alabama#334101 in 2,834
Ohio#340121 in 4,200
Wisconsin#34151 in 4,700
Michigan#346101 in 4,149
Mississippi#35281 in 2,755
Kentucky#37171 in 3,939
Indiana#39251 in 5,079
Illinois#394111 in 4,884
South Carolina#40551 in 4,230
California#430101 in 4,562
Alaska———
Arizona———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Florida———
Georgia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Maine———
Massachusetts———
Minnesota———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
New York———
North Dakota———
Pennsylvania———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Tennessee———
Utah———
Vermont———
Virginia———
Washington———
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 1939

girls
#401
280 births · 1 in 3,916 girls
boys
#3,480
5 births · 1 in 221,370 boys

Top girls' names in 1939

  1. #1Mary54,900
  2. #2Barbara37,257
  3. #3Patricia29,701
  4. #4Betty23,639
  5. #5Shirley20,447
  6. #6Carol20,166
  7. #7Nancy19,723
  8. #8Judith16,625
  9. #9Dorothy15,169
  10. #10Margaret14,949
  11. #401Melva280

Top boys' names in 1939

  1. #1Robert59,666
  2. #2James59,636
  3. #3John51,025
  4. #4William42,071
  5. #5Richard35,386
  6. #6Charles30,789
  7. #7David25,360
  8. #8Donald24,056
  9. #9Thomas22,129
  10. #10Ronald19,837
  11. #3,480Melva5
More about 1939

girls

1,096,612 girls got a published name in 1939; 1 in 3,916 of them was named Melva, which outranked 91.9% of the 4,950 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Melva
  1. #398Lora282
  2. #398Sonia282
  3. #398Stephanie282
  4. #401Melva280
  5. #401Dale280
  6. #403Francine279
  7. #403Virgie279
  8. #405Luella276

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

Biggest movers since 1938
Risers
  1. ↑ 880April#1,805 → #925
  2. ↑ 865Karel#1,703 → #838
  3. ↑ 725Hedy#1,650 → #925
  4. ↑ 722Vivien#1,703 → #981
  5. ↑ 709Karon#1,547 → #838
Fallers
  1. ↓ 712Eulalia#972 → #1,684
  2. ↓ 446Shelvia#955 → #1,401
  3. ↓ 358Naoma#992 → #1,350
  4. ↓ 304Imelda#890 → #1,194
  5. ↓ 279Helaine#870 → #1,149

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

boys

1,106,852 boys got a published name in 1939; 1 in 221,370 of them was named Melva, which outranked 12.3% of the 3,968 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Melva
  1. #3,113Wynn6
  2. #3,113Zackie6
  3. #3,113Zan6
  4. #3,480Melva5
  5. #3,480Abbie5
  6. #3,480Adelard5
  7. #3,480Adrin5

Tied with 488 names at #3,480; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1938
Risers
  1. ↑ 463Alfonzo#1,439 → #976
  2. ↑ 447Rod#1,439 → #992
  3. ↑ 443Estel#1,397 → #954
  4. ↑ 422Cameron#1,364 → #942
  5. ↑ 421Turner#1,337 → #916
Fallers
  1. ↓ 518Gonzalo#779 → #1,297
  2. ↓ 497Judge#992 → #1,489
  3. ↓ 396Melville#963 → #1,359
  4. ↓ 355Agustin#883 → #1,238
  5. ↓ 351Antone#921 → #1,272

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

See the top 100 for 1939 →