Total births
1,861
Girls' name · since 1894
Melita
Since 1894, U.S. Social Security records show 1,861 babies named Melita, peaking in 1973. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 1,861
- total births
- 1894–2023
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 21%
- born in that decade
Melita is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 1,861 have been recorded since 1894.
Melita has 1,861 recorded births among girls since 1894, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1970s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1894 to 2023.
- 1,861 total births
- 1894–2023 years on record
- 1970s peak decade
- 21% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
1,861 girls have been named Melita since 1894, peaking in the 1970s, last recorded in 2023.
- 1,861
- total births
- 1894–2023
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 21%
- born in that decade
1970s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Melita was born in this single decade.
1973
Single peak year
45 babies were named Melita in 1973 - its busiest year on record.
Melita's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Melita's full recorded timeline at 1963, 59% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 41% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1898, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1973 peak of 45 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Melita at a glance
Last recorded 2023Peak year
1973
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1894
Melita popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1894–2023
- Peak year (1973)
- 45
- Annual births at peak, across 130 years of records
Melita by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Melita's strongest decade.
397 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Melita births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 11
1890s
11 births
- 1900s 29
1900s
29 births
- 1910s 96
1910s
96 births
- 1920s 88
1920s
88 births
- 1930s 98
1930s
98 births
- 1940s 110
1940s
110 births
- 1950s
1950s
252 births
- 1960s
1960s
318 births
- 1970s
1970s
397 births
- 1980s
1980s
201 births
- 1990s 81
1990s
81 births
- 2000s 96
2000s
96 births
- 2010s 62
2010s
62 births
- 2020s 22
2020s
22 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 397 births (21% of all-time use).
How Melita 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 Melita's total volume
Melita vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Melita by state
Where Melita concentrates geographically, total births since 1894
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 34 | 1.8% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 11 | 0.6% |
| #3 | Alabama | | 5 | 0.3% |
| #4 | Texas | | 5 | 0.3% |
California share of Melita's total US births 1.8%
Even split
34 of 1,861 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Melita? ▼
Melita has been given to 1,861 babies in the U.S. since 1894, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2023. 45 babies were born in 1973, its single highest year.
When was Melita most popular? ▼
Melita was most popular in the 1970s decade with 397 total births. The single peak year was 1973.
Where is Melita most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Melita are California (34 births), North Carolina (11 births), Alabama (5 births).
How long has the name Melita been used? ▼
Records for Melita go back to 1894, giving 130 years of history through 2023.
What names are similar to Melita? ▼
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 Melita's data
- Melita's decade-level peak was the 1970s (397 total births); usage has since declined to 22 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Melitas (34 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Melita
Nearby Names Like Melita
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Melita
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 Melita side by side: Melita vs Melissa Melita vs Melanie Melita vs Melinda
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1894–2023 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Melita: Baby Name Since 1894 - 1,861 Births, Peak 1973." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/melita. 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 Melita 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 July 2026.