Mela: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#5,058

among girls · ↑338 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Mela · +8% vs 2024

How common

1 in 61,818

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2019

55 babies

All-time total

1,015

#7,439 all-time among girls

First recorded

1905

in Social Security records

Mela popularity over time

1,015 babies have been named Mela since 1905, 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

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	–	–	–	–
1900s	5	1	–	#2,135
1910s	42	4	+740%	#3,053
1920s	89	9	+112%	#2,403
1930s	48	5	-46%	#2,256
1940s	31	3	-35%	#4,191
1950s	64	6	+106%	#3,613
1960s	22	2	-66%	#5,653
1970s	28	3	+27%	#6,794
1980s	17	2	-39%	#9,780
1990s	19	2	+12%	#10,777
2000s	122	12	+542%	#5,654
2010s	338	34	+177%	#2,983
2020s (to 2025)	190	32	-6%	#3,262

Where Mela 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	24	0.01	outside top 500
2027	22	0.01	outside top 500
2028	21	0.01	outside top 500
2029	20	0.01	outside top 500
2030	19	0.01	outside top 500

The story of Mela

Mela is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #5,058 in 2025 with 26 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1905, 1,015 American babies have been named Mela. Its peak came in 2019, when 55 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

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 Mela stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Mela?

The median living Mela is about 11 years old; half are between 6 and 20. An estimated 800 people named Mela are alive in the United States today.

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

Mela year by year

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

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	26	#5,058
2024	24	#5,396
2023	27	#4,952
2022	32	#4,434
2021	33	#4,301
2020	48	#3,262
2019	55	#2,983
2018	40	#3,773
2017	31	#4,552
2016	32	#4,493
2015	37	#4,044
2014	38	#3,977
2013	31	#4,606
2012	29	#4,928
2011	27	#5,156
2010	18	#7,119
2009	15	#8,322
2008	20	#6,734
2007	23	#6,025
2006	24	#5,654
2005	13	#8,682
2004	12	#9,079
2003	7	#13,363
2002	8	#11,818
2001	–	–
2000	–	–
1995	–	–
1990	–	–
1985	–	–
1980	6	#9,870
1975	5	#10,015
1970	7	#6,794
1965	–	–
1960	–	–
1955	9	#4,275
1950	5	#5,839
1945	–	–
1940	6	#4,191
1935	–	–
1930	8	#3,555
1925	6	#4,779
1920	7	#4,266
1915	9	#3,053
1910	–	–
1905	5	#2,135
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Mela?

The median living Mela is about 11 years old. Half of all living Melas are between 6 and 20 years old.

How many people named Mela are alive today?

An estimated 800 people named Mela are alive in the United States, based on 1,015 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Mela in 2025?

Mela ranked #5,058 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 26 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Mela?

1,015 babies have been named Mela in the United States since 1905, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Mela most popular?

Mela peaked in 2019, when 55 newborns received the name.

Is Mela a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Mela rising or falling?

Mela is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Mela become more popular?

Mela is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 19 girls named Mela in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Mela

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

Compare Mela with similar names → More names starting with M →