Girls' name · since 1913

Marva

Marva has 10,362 recorded births since 1913 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1948 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

#1,619 of 72,339
all-time among girls
10,362
born since 1913
1940s
peak decade

10,362 girls have been named Marva since 1913, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Marva has been recorded 10,362 times among girls since 1913, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1940s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1913 to 2023.

  • #1,619 of 72,339 all-time among girls
  • 10,362 born since 1913
  • 1940s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Marva ranks #1,619 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 10,362 born since 1913, peaking in the 1940s.

#1,619 of 72,339
all-time among girls
10,362
born since 1913
1940s
peak decade
Upper archive tier
All-time archive position

Marva's 10,362 recorded births place it above 97.76% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.

36 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

36 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.

Marva's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Marva splits its recorded history at 1960: 23% of all births land in the more recent half, 77% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1913 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1948 peak of 371 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.

Marva popularity over time - girls

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1913–2023

Last recorded 2023
Peak year (1948)
371
Annual births at peak, across 111 years of records
0100200300400 191319251937194919611973198519972023 5

Marva popularity over time - boys

7 total births recorded since 1936 (Marva as boys' name)

Unisex variant - 7 births
7 1936 7

Marva by decade

1940s is the heaviest window (3,115 births, 30% of the file).

1940s was Marva's strongest decade.

3,115 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.

Marva births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1940s at 3,115 births (30% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

How Marva compares to similarly-sized names

Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Marva's total volume

Marva vs 15 similarly-sized girls names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%5%10%15% 050100150200 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year -128, 3.4%-53, 5%-96, 5.9%-84, 4.2%-64, 7.2%-146, 4.9%-96, 4.8%-146, 2.6%-118, 2.1%-58, 5.1%-31, 7%-108, 4.3%-107, 5.8%-81, 4%-62, 11.3%Marva-111, 3.6%Marva
Marva vs 15 similarly-sized girls names

Marva by state

Where Marva concentrates geographically, total births since 1913

Geographically diffuse
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Marva
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 Texas
719 6.9%
#2 Florida
434 4.2%
#3 California
431 4.2%
#4 Michigan
423 4.1%
#5 Pennsylvania
416 4.0%
#6 Ohio
409 3.9%
#7 Louisiana
399 3.9%
#8 Illinois
378 3.6%
Texas share of Marva's total US births 6.9%
Even split

719 of 10,362 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 36 reporting states.

Marva appears in 36 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Marva?
10,362 babies have been named Marva since 1913. All-time, it sits at #1,619 of 72,339 girls' names by recorded births. It was last recorded in 2023. The peak year was 1948 with 371 births.
Where does Marva sit in the SSA name archive?
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Marva ranks #1,619 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Marva most popular?
Marva was most popular in the 1940s decade with 3,115 total births. The single peak year was 1948.
Where is Marva most popular?
The top states for the name Marva are Texas (719 births), Florida (434 births), California (431 births).
How long has the name Marva been used?
Marva has been recorded in Social Security data since 1913, spanning 111 years of data through 2023.
What names are similar to Marva?
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Mary, Margaret, Maria, Martha, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.

What to do with Marva's data

  • Marva's decade-level peak was the 1940s (3,115 total births); usage has since declined to 10 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
  • Texas records the most Marvas (719 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Marva

Nearby Names Like Marva

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Marva

Names with a similar number of total births

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Marva: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.

Data Sources

Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.

Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1913–2023 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Marva draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.