Total births
1,517
Unisex name · since 1880
Mena
1,517 babies named Mena in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2008. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #5801
- among girls today
- 1,517
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 67%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Mena is the #5801 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 1,517 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Mena recorded 1,517 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #5801 nationally today, ahead of 67% of girls, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #5801 among girls today
- 1,517 born since 1880
- 2000s peak decade
- 67% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Mena is currently the #5801 unisex name in America, more common than 67% of girls - 1,517 born since 1880, peaking in the 2000s.
- #5801
- among girls today
- 1,517
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 67%
- more common than other girls
Mena vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#5801
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 67% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
26% of everyone ever named Mena was born in this single decade.
2008
Single peak year
65 babies were named Mena in 2008 - its busiest year on record.
How Mena compares
1,517 Top 25% higher than 75% 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
Mena's all-time total is 4x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Mena | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,517 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 65 | 48 | 19,840 |
Mena's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Mena's full recorded timeline at 1973, 75% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 25% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1886, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2008 peak of 65 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Mena at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2008
Current rank
#5,801
Active since
1880
Mena popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2008)
- 65
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Mena popularity over time - boys
161 total births recorded since 1984 (Mena as boys' name)
Mena by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Mena's strongest decade.
389 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Mena births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 24
1880s
24 births
- 1890s 37
1890s
37 births
- 1900s 6
1900s
6 births
- 1910s 60
1910s
60 births
- 1920s 69
1920s
69 births
- 1930s 34
1930s
34 births
- 1940s 24
1940s
24 births
- 1950s 56
1950s
56 births
- 1960s 46
1960s
46 births
- 1970s 87
1970s
87 births
- 1980s 95
1980s
95 births
- 1990s 133
1990s
133 births
- 2000s
2000s
389 births
- 2010s
2010s
333 births
- 2020s 124
2020s
124 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 389 births (26% of all-time use).
How Mena 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 Mena's total volume
Mena vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Mena by state
Where Mena concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 73 | 4.8% |
| #2 | New York | | 11 | 0.7% |
| #3 | Texas | | 7 | 0.5% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 6 | 0.4% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 5 | 0.3% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 5 | 0.3% |
California share of Mena's total US births 4.8%
Even split
73 of 1,517 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Mena? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 1,517 babies named Mena. Today it holds rank #5801 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2008, with 65 births.
When was Mena most popular? ▼
Mena was most popular in the 2000s decade with 389 total births. The single peak year was 2008.
Where is Mena most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Mena are California (73 births), New York (11 births), Texas (7 births).
Is Mena a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Mena is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 1,517 births, and as a boy's name it has 161 births.
How long has the name Mena been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Mena since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Mena? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Mendy, Mennie, Menucha, Mendi, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Mena's data
- Mena's decade-level peak was the 2000s (389 total births); usage has since declined to 124 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Menas (73 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 Mena
Nearby Names Like Mena
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Mena
Mendy Girl
2,160 births
Mennie Girl
673 births
Menucha Girl
#5351 641 births
Mendi Girl
514 births
Menna Girl
#16161 223 births
Compare Mena side by side: Mena vs Mendy Mena vs Mennie Mena vs Menucha
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Mena
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Mena: #5801 Unisex Name - 1,517 Births, Peak 2008." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/mena. 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 Mena 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.