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
Meshell's 497 recorded births place it above 83.53% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
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
- Peak year (1966)
- 35
- Annual births at peak, across 51 years of records
No longer in the modern top-1000, last recorded 2008.
497 total births across 51 years of SSA records. Peaked in 1966 with 35 births in a single year.
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
- 1950s 6
1950s
6 births
- 1960s
1960s
167 births
- 1970s
1970s
162 births
- 1980s
1980s
67 births
- 1990s
1990s
78 births
- 2000s 17
2000s
17 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 167 births (34% of all-time use).
Meshell decade highlights
- Peak decade 167 births
- Runner-up 162 births
- Modern era share 2010s + 2020s
- Decades tracked with recorded births
Meshell by state
Where Meshell concentrates geographically, total births since 1958
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 5 | 1.0% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 5 | 1.0% |
5 of 497 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Top 5 states
- California 1.0% of nationwide
- Georgia 1.0% of nationwide
Recorded in 2 of 51 SSA jurisdictions
California accounts for 1.0% of all recorded births nationwide - a relatively diffuse profile for this name.
Frequently Asked Questions
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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
Compare Meshell side by side: Meshell vs Mesha Meshell vs Messiah Meshell vs Mesa
Related Names
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.
Similar peak year (~1966)
Similar record span (~50 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, 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.
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