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.
- #4,927 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,861
- born since 1894
- 1970s
- peak 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.
- #4,927 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 1,861 born since 1894
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Melita ranks #4,927 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,861 born since 1894, peaking in the 1970s.
- #4,927 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,861
- born since 1894
- 1970s
- peak decade
Melita's 1,861 recorded births place it above 93.18% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 4 jurisdictions, led by California.
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 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
1970s is the heaviest window (397 births, 21% of the file).
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 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% |
34 of 1,861 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Melita? ▼
Where does Melita sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Melita most popular? ▼
Where is Melita most popular? ▼
How long has the name Melita been used? ▼
What names are similar to Melita? ▼
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
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
Compare Melita side by side: Melita vs Melissa Melita vs Melanie Melita 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 Melita: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1973)
Similar record span (~129 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, 1894–2023 (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 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 August 2026.