girl's name
Melba
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 34,925
Melba is a girl's name with 2 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 7 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
- Peaked in 1924, when 1,003 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 473,709 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1893.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Melba over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1890s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 216 |
| 1900s | 763 |
| 1910s | 4,538 |
| 1920s | 9,124 |
| 1930s | 7,971 |
| 1940s | 5,698 |
| 1950s | 3,792 |
| 1960s | 1,538 |
| 1970s | 736 |
| 1980s | 311 |
| 1990s | 129 |
| 2000s | 50 |
| 2010s | 28 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 31 |
How popular is Melba?
In 2025, Melba was given to 7 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Melba
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Melba also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Melba over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Melba
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Melba — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Melba
How popular is the name Melba?
In 2025, Melba was given to 7 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is Melba a girl's or a boy's name?
Melba is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Melba?
Melba has 2 syllables.
When was Melba most popular?
Melba peaked in 1924, when 1,003 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Melba a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Melba currently ranks #11,996 in the United States. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.