Total births
1,015
Girls' name · since 1905
Mela
1,015 babies named Mela in U.S. Social Security records since 1905, with the highest year being 2019. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #5310
- among girls today
- 1,015
- born since 1905
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 70%
- more common than other girls
Mela currently ranks #5310 among girls' names in America, with 1,015 babies recorded since 1905.
Mela has 1,015 recorded births among girls since 1905, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #5310 as of the latest data, more common than 70% of girls, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1905 to 2025.
- #5310 among girls today
- 1,015 born since 1905
- 2010s peak decade
- 70% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Mela is currently the #5310 girls' name in America, more common than 70% of girls - 1,015 born since 1905, peaking in the 2010s.
- #5310
- among girls today
- 1,015
- born since 1905
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 70%
- more common than other girls
Mela vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#5310
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 70% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
33% of everyone ever named Mela was born in this single decade.
2019
Single peak year
55 babies were named Mela in 2019 - its busiest year on record.
How Mela compares
1,015 Top 31% higher than 69% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Mela's all-time total is 166% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Mela | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,015 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 55 | 48 | 19,840 |
Mela's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Mela's full recorded timeline at 1966, 71% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 29% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1905, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2019 peak of 55 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Mela at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2019
Current rank
#5,310
Active since
1905
Mela popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1905–2025
- Peak year (2019)
- 55
- Annual births at peak, across 121 years of records
Mela by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Mela's strongest decade.
338 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Mela births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s 42
1910s
42 births
- 1920s 89
1920s
89 births
- 1930s 48
1930s
48 births
- 1940s 31
1940s
31 births
- 1950s 64
1950s
64 births
- 1960s 22
1960s
22 births
- 1970s 28
1970s
28 births
- 1980s 17
1980s
17 births
- 1990s 19
1990s
19 births
- 2000s 122
2000s
122 births
- 2010s
2010s
338 births
- 2020s
2020s
190 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 338 births (33% of all-time use).
How Mela 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 Mela's total volume
Mela vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Mela by state
Where Mela concentrates geographically, total births since 1905
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New Mexico | | 121 | 11.9% |
| #2 | California | | 21 | 2.1% |
| #3 | New York | | 11 | 1.1% |
| #4 | Florida | | 10 | 1.0% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 7 | 0.7% |
| #6 | Texas | | 5 | 0.5% |
New Mexico share of Mela's total US births 11.9%
Even split
121 of 1,015 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Mela? ▼
Mela has been given to 1,015 babies in the U.S. since 1905, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #5310 as of the latest data. 55 babies were born in 2019, its single highest year.
When was Mela most popular? ▼
Mela was most popular in the 2010s decade with 338 total births. The single peak year was 2019.
Where is Mela most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Mela are New Mexico (121 births), California (21 births), New York (11 births).
How long has the name Mela been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Mela since 1905 -- 121 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Mela? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Melissa, Melanie, Melinda, Melody, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Mela's data
- Mela's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (338 total births) through the 2020s (190) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New Mexico records the most Melas (121 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New Mexico names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Mela
Nearby Names Like Mela
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Mela
Melissa Girl
#379 760,128 births
Melanie Girl
#122 262,640 births
Melinda Girl
#2099 135,822 births
Melody Girl
#91 114,914 births
Melba Girl
#11152 34,873 births
Compare Mela side by side: Mela vs Melissa Mela vs Melanie Mela vs Melinda
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Mela
Arna #5309
624 births · Peak 2021
Enora #5311
192 births · Peak 2025
Glenda #5308
109,227 births · Peak 1950
Maryrose #5312
2,314 births · Peak 1926
Domenica #5307
3,503 births · Peak 1979
Stefanie #5313
37,144 births · Peak 1983
Santa #5306
4,370 births · Peak 1923
Mirian #5314
3,391 births · Peak 2003
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1905–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Mela: #5310 Girls' Name - 1,015 Births, Peak 2019." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/mela. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Mela 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 June 2026.