girl's name
Minnie
MIN-ee (English)
- Origin Scottish
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 162,629
Scotland
#369
2024 births
Minnie Mouse did not make Minnie popular. The mouse debuted in November 1928 and the name was already falling — 2,459 American births in 1926, down to 2,239 by 1928 and still dropping. It is reviving now, led by Britain.
- Minnie is a name of Scottish origin.
- Peaked in 1919, when 3,288 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 61,399 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Minnie Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 21,817 |
| 1890s | 24,732 |
| 1900s | 19,806 |
| 1910s | 27,588 |
| 1920s | 27,050 |
| 1930s | 16,017 |
| 1940s | 11,811 |
| 1950s | 5,954 |
| 1960s | 2,266 |
| 1970s | 966 |
| 1980s | 488 |
| 1990s | 345 |
| 2000s | 298 |
| 2010s | 572 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 357 |
What Minnie Means
Minnie means resolute protection through Wilhelmina, or carries Mary's unsettled meaning through Mary itself. It is a pet form of two unrelated names rather than a name with its own root.
Where Minnie Comes From
Minnie shortens two names that have nothing in common. Wilhelmina is the feminine of William, from the Germanic wil, will or desire, joined to helm, a helmet or protection — resolute protection. Mary, from the Hebrew Miriam, has no established derivation at all. A third strand exists in Scotland, where Minnie was an affectionate word for a mother. The name is not connected to the Roman Minerva despite the resemblance, and it does not come from the Latin for small, which is the usual guess.
Minnie in Use
The Minnie Mouse story fails the same test that Donald Duck fails and Shirley Temple passes. Minnie ran at 2,459 American births in 1926 and had already dropped to 2,239 by 1928, the year the mouse appeared, then fell every year after. It is now reviving, and the revival is British-led — 369th in Scotland on 9 births and 457th in England and Wales on 88, against 3,054th in the United States, across 162,629 lifetime births.
How Popular Is Minnie?
In 2025, Minnie was given to 54 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Minnie Is Used
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 Minnie
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Minnie Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Minnie over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Minnie
- English MIN-ee /ˈmɪn.i/
Minnie in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Dutch
- Mary Wilhelmina
- Estonian
- Minna
- Finnish
- Minna
- German
- Minna
- Icelandic
- Minna
- Latvian
- Minna
- Polish
- Wilhelmina
- Swedish
- Wilhelmina
Sibling Names for Minnie
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Minnie — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Minnie
What does the name Minnie mean?
Resolute protection through Wilhelmina, or Mary's unsettled meaning through Mary. Two unrelated sources.
Is Minnie named after Minnie Mouse?
No — the name was already in decline when the mouse debuted in 1928, and it kept falling afterward.
Does Minnie mean small?
No, though the resemblance to the Latin makes that the usual guess. It is a pet form of Wilhelmina or Mary.
Is Minnie coming back?
It is reviving, and the revival is British-led — 369th in Scotland against 3,054th in the United States.
How popular is the name Minnie?
In 2025, Minnie was given to 54 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Minnie a girl's or a boy's name?
Minnie is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Minnie?
Minnie has 2 syllables.
When was Minnie most popular?
Minnie peaked in 1919, when 3,288 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Minnie a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Minnie currently ranks #369 in the United States. After peaking in the 1910s 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.