Girls' name · since 1887
Melda
Melda has 1,487 recorded births since 1887 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1925 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #5,728 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,487
- born since 1887
- 1920s
- peak decade
Melda sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 1,487 recorded since 1887.
Melda has 1,487 recorded births among girls since 1887, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1887 to 1975.
- #5,728 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 1,487 born since 1887
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Melda ranks #5,728 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,487 born since 1887, peaking in the 1920s.
- #5,728 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,487
- born since 1887
- 1920s
- peak decade
Melda's 1,487 recorded births place it above 92.08% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
6 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Pennsylvania.
Melda's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Melda's full recorded timeline at 1934, 44% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 56% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1887, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1925 peak of 44 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Melda popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1887–1975
- Peak year (1925)
- 44
- Annual births at peak, across 89 years of records
Melda by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (349 births, 23% of the file).
1920s was Melda's strongest decade.
349 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Melda births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1890s 34
1890s
34 births
- 1900s 102
1900s
102 births
- 1910s
1910s
249 births
- 1920s
1920s
349 births
- 1930s
1930s
238 births
- 1940s
1940s
201 births
- 1950s
1950s
188 births
- 1960s 94
1960s
94 births
- 1970s 27
1970s
27 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 349 births (23% of all-time use).
How Melda 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 Melda's total volume
Melda by state
Where Melda concentrates geographically, total births since 1887
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 76 | 5.1% |
| #2 | Kentucky | | 47 | 3.2% |
| #3 | Texas | | 16 | 1.1% |
| #4 | West Virginia | | 11 | 0.7% |
| #5 | Louisiana | | 10 | 0.7% |
| #6 | Minnesota | | 5 | 0.3% |
76 of 1,487 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Melda? ▼
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When was Melda most popular? ▼
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What to do with Melda's data
- Melda's decade-level peak was the 1920s (349 total births); usage has since declined to 27 in the 1970s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Meldas (76 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Melda
Nearby Names Like Melda
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Melda
Compare Melda side by side: Melda vs Melissa Melda vs Melanie Melda vs Melinda
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Melda: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1925)
Similar record span (~88 yrs)
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, 1887–1975 (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 Melda 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.