Girls' name · since 1958

Meshell

Meshell has 497 recorded births since 1958 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1966 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

#11,903 of 72,339
all-time among girls
497
born since 1958
1960s
peak decade

Meshell sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 497 recorded since 1958.

Meshell has 497 recorded births among girls since 1958, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1960s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1958 to 2008.

  • #11,903 of 72,339 all-time among girls
  • 497 born since 1958
  • 1960s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Meshell ranks #11,903 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 497 born since 1958, peaking in the 1960s.

#11,903 of 72,339
all-time among girls
497
born since 1958
1960s
peak decade
Above the archive median
All-time archive position

Meshell's 497 recorded births place it above 83.53% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.

2 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by California.

Meshell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Meshell splits its recorded history at 1981: 32% of all births land in the more recent half, 68% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1980 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1966 peak of 35 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.

Meshell popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1958–2008

Last recorded 2008
Peak year (1966)
35
Annual births at peak, across 51 years of records
010203040 195819651971197719831989199520062008 5

Meshell by decade

1960s is the heaviest window (167 births, 34% of the file).

1960s was Meshell's strongest decade.

167 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.

Meshell births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1960s at 167 births (34% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Meshell by state

Where Meshell concentrates geographically, total births since 1958

Geographically diffuse
Top 2 states by recorded births for the name Meshell
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 California
5 1.0%
#2 Georgia
5 1.0%
California share of Meshell's total US births 1.0%
Even split

5 of 497 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Meshell?
497 babies have been named Meshell since 1958. All-time, it sits at #11,903 of 72,339 girls' names by recorded births. It was last recorded in 2008. The peak year was 1966 with 35 births.
Where does Meshell sit in the SSA name archive?
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Meshell ranks #11,903 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Meshell most popular?
Meshell was most popular in the 1960s decade with 167 total births. The single peak year was 1966.
Where is Meshell most popular?
The top states for the name Meshell are California (5 births), Georgia (5 births).
How long has the name Meshell been used?
The SSA has tracked Meshell since 1958 -- 51 years through the most recent 2008 data.
What names are similar to Meshell?
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Mesha, Messiah, Mesa, Meshelle, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.

What to do with Meshell's data

  • Meshell's decade-level peak was the 1960s (167 total births); usage has since declined to 17 in the 2000s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
  • California records the most Meshells (5 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 Meshell

Nearby Names Like Meshell

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Meshell

Names with a similar number of total births

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Meshell: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1958–2008 (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 Meshell 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.