Girls' name · since 1880
Melva
Melva has 14,155 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1938 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1,335 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 14,155
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Melva sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 14,155 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Melva has been recorded 14,155 times among girls since 1880, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2024.
- #1,335 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 14,155 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Melva ranks #1,335 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 14,155 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1,335 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 14,155
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Melva's 14,155 recorded births place it above 98.15% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
40 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
Melva's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Melva splits its recorded history at 1946: 35% of all births land in the more recent half, 65% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1883 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1938 peak of 308 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Melva popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2024
- Peak year (1938)
- 308
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Melva popularity over time - boys
30 total births recorded since 1926 (Melva as boys' name)
Melva by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (2,781 births, 20% of the file).
1920s was Melva's strongest decade.
2,781 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Melva births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 40
1880s
40 births
- 1890s 150
1890s
150 births
- 1900s 384
1900s
384 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,585 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,781 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,759 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,468 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,977 births
- 1960s 1,041
1960s
1,041 births
- 1970s 554
1970s
554 births
- 1980s 245
1980s
245 births
- 1990s 116
1990s
116 births
- 2000s 34
2000s
34 births
- 2010s 16
2010s
16 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 2,781 births (20% of all-time use).
How Melva 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 Melva's total volume
Melva by state
Where Melva concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,568 | 11.1% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 658 | 4.6% |
| #3 | Oklahoma | | 641 | 4.5% |
| #4 | California | | 557 | 3.9% |
| #5 | Missouri | | 554 | 3.9% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 545 | 3.9% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 484 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 460 | 3.2% |
1,568 of 14,155 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 40 reporting states.
Melva appears in 40 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Melva? ▼
Where does Melva sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Melva most popular? ▼
Where is Melva most popular? ▼
How long has the name Melva been used? ▼
What names are similar to Melva? ▼
What to do with Melva's data
- Melva's decade-level peak was the 1920s (2,781 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Melvas (1,568 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 Melva
Nearby Names Like Melva
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Melva
Compare Melva side by side: Melva vs Melissa Melva vs Melanie Melva 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 Melva: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1938)
Similar record span (~144 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, 1880–2024 (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 Melva 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.