Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1978

Imelda

Gender Girl Rank 2025 #4,295 Trend → Stable

From Romance (Italian Imelda, Spanish Imelda), from German Irmhild.

Rank 2025
#4,295
among girls · ↓628 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
33
named Imelda · -21% vs 2024
How common
1 in 48,705
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1978
149 babies
All-time total
7,476
#1,982 all-time among girls
First recorded
1891
in Social Security records

Imelda popularity over time

7,476 babies have been named Imelda since 1891, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.040.080.110.1518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1978Girls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s 33 3 – #985
1900s 105 11 +218% #868
1910s 457 46 +335% #770
1920s 597 60 +31% #809
1930s 476 48 -20% #871
1940s 412 41 -13% #1,156
1950s 666 67 +62% #1,138
1960s 786 79 +18% #1,101
1970s 1,283 128 +63% #925
1980s 897 90 -30% #1,141
1990s 748 75 -17% #1,615
2000s 510 51 -32% #2,342
2010s 286 29 -44% #3,879
2020s (to 2025) 220 37 +28% #3,648

Where Imelda is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 girls Implied rank
2026 33 0.02 outside top 500
2027 33 0.02 outside top 500
2028 33 0.02 outside top 500
2029 33 0.02 outside top 500
2030 33 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Imelda

Imelda is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,295 in 2025 with 33 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1891, 7,476 American babies have been named Imelda. Its peak came in 1978, when 149 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1970s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Imelda stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Imelda?

The median living Imelda is about 47 years old; half are between 31 and 59. An estimated 5,500 people named Imelda are alive in the United States today.

median 47 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Imelda year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank
2025 33 #4,295
2024 42 #3,667
2023 32 #4,400
2022 33 #4,317
2021 39 #3,832
2020 41 #3,648
2019 30 #4,587
2018 38 #3,879
2017 32 #4,431
2016 35 #4,193
2015 19 #6,560
2014 24 #5,534
2013 27 #5,064
2012 33 #4,422
2011 23 #5,813
2010 25 #5,492
2009 35 #4,304
2008 41 #3,889
2007 49 #3,399
2006 58 #2,949
2005 55 #2,945
2004 50 #3,091
2003 55 #2,812
2002 42 #3,295
2001 68 #2,342
2000 57 #2,605
1995 89 #1,657
1990 88 #1,674
1985 71 #1,657
1980 119 #1,143
1975 137 #931
1970 116 #1,054
1965 77 #1,233
1960 78 #1,241
1955 76 #1,147
1950 59 #1,205
1945 34 #1,384
1940 34 #1,281
1935 41 #1,089
1930 68 #871
1925 54 #1,025
1920 50 #1,057
1915 55 #886
1910 17 #1,089
1905 12 #1,123
1900 13 #1,076
1895 7 #1,354
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Imelda

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Imelda Staunton Imelda Staunton English actress and singer (born 1956) Contemporary
  2. 2 Imelda Marcos Imelda Marcos First Lady of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986 b. 1929 · Contemporary
  3. 3 Imelda May Imelda May Irish singer and musician (born 1974) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Imelda, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Imelda?

The median living Imelda is about 47 years old. Half of all living Imeldas are between 31 and 59 years old.

How many people named Imelda are alive today?

An estimated 5,500 people named Imelda are alive in the United States, based on 7,476 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Imelda mean?

From Romance (Italian Imelda, Spanish Imelda), from German Irmhild.

How popular is the name Imelda in 2025?

Imelda ranked #4,295 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 33 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Imelda?

7,476 babies have been named Imelda in the United States since 1891, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Imelda most popular?

Imelda peaked in 1978, when 149 newborns received the name.

Is Imelda a boy or girl name?

Imelda is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Imelda rising or falling?

Imelda is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Imelda become more popular?

Imelda looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 33 girls named Imelda in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Imelda?

Well-known people named Imelda include Imelda Staunton (actor), Imelda Marcos (companion), Imelda May (musician).

Names like Imelda

Names that sound and feel close to Imelda: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Imelda with similar names → More names starting with I →