Is Mel a boy or girl name?
Mel is used for both, more often for girls in the US. In 2024, 17 girls and 9 boys were named Mel, so 65.4% were girls. Across 1880–2024, 11.8% of the 4,175 US babies named Mel were girls.
- Boy rank, 2024
- #8,713
- Girl rank, 2024
- #6,819
- Babies named Mel since 1902
- 4,175
- Most popular year
- 1958
- 131 babies
Boys and girls named Mel, by decade
| Decade | Boys | Girls | Share girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 17 | 0 | 0% |
| 1910s | 94 | 12 | 11.3% |
| 1920s | 151 | 11 | 6.8% |
| 1930s | 355 | 22 | 5.8% |
| 1940s | 731 | 24 | 3.2% |
| 1950s | 843 | 92 | 9.8% |
| 1960s | 687 | 69 | 9.1% |
| 1970s | 266 | 5 | 1.8% |
| 1980s | 143 | 0 | 0% |
| 1990s | 141 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000s | 137 | 118 | 46.3% |
| 2010s | 74 | 65 | 46.8% |
| 2020s | 44 | 74 | 62.7% |
Every year
| Year | Boys | Boy rank | Girls | Girl rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 9 | #8,713 | 17 | #6,819 |
| 2023 | 10 | #8,060 | 16 | #7,145 |
| 2022 | 9 | #8,749 | 16 | #7,183 |
| 2021 | 9 | #8,597 | 10 | #10,059 |
| 2020 | 7 | #10,227 | 15 | #7,444 |
| 2019 | 7 | #10,449 | 18 | #6,609 |
| 2018 | 10 | #7,965 | 5 | #17,321 |
| 2017 | 6 | #11,704 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 12 | #6,995 | 11 | #9,859 |
| 2015 | 0 | – | 8 | #12,621 |
| 2014 | 6 | #11,660 | 5 | #18,328 |
| 2013 | 7 | #10,355 | 7 | #14,141 |
| 2012 | 5 | #13,540 | 6 | #16,229 |
| 2011 | 10 | #7,889 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 11 | #7,413 | 5 | #18,905 |
| 2009 | 7 | #10,611 | 5 | #19,222 |
| 2008 | 13 | #6,643 | 8 | #13,394 |
| 2007 | 14 | #6,152 | 10 | #11,365 |
| 2006 | 18 | #4,984 | 12 | #9,704 |
| 2005 | 11 | #6,947 | 14 | #8,198 |
| 2004 | 16 | #5,170 | 30 | #4,572 |
| 2003 | 22 | #3,921 | 18 | #6,490 |
| 2002 | 12 | #5,955 | 21 | #5,607 |
| 2001 | 12 | #5,901 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 12 | #5,790 | 0 | – |
| 1999 | 17 | #4,269 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 11 | #5,708 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 12 | #5,167 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 21 | #3,362 | 0 | – |
| 1995 | 14 | #4,434 | 0 | – |
| 1994 | 12 | #5,010 | 0 | – |
| 1993 | 13 | #4,606 | 0 | – |
| 1992 | 12 | #4,763 | 0 | – |
| 1991 | 13 | #4,394 | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 16 | #3,719 | 0 | – |
| 1989 | 17 | #3,401 | 0 | – |
| 1988 | 13 | #3,824 | 0 | – |
| 1987 | 13 | #3,662 | 0 | – |
| 1986 | 9 | #4,714 | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 10 | #4,237 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 11 | #3,842 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 11 | #3,783 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 19 | #2,570 | 0 | – |
| 1981 | 14 | #3,152 | 0 | – |
| 1980 | 26 | #2,093 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 16 | #2,858 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 22 | #2,176 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 17 | #2,621 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 31 | #1,696 | 5 | #10,267 |
| 1975 | 32 | #1,616 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 27 | #1,772 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 20 | #2,097 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 35 | #1,446 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 30 | #1,620 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 36 | #1,409 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 47 | #1,145 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 35 | #1,304 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 51 | #1,027 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 63 | #925 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 66 | #917 | 6 | #6,265 |
| 1964 | 82 | #845 | 9 | #4,865 |
| 1963 | 64 | #944 | 7 | #5,693 |
| 1962 | 79 | #851 | 17 | #3,116 |
| 1961 | 102 | #765 | 13 | #3,727 |
| 1960 | 98 | #770 | 17 | #3,066 |
| 1959 | 94 | #792 | 12 | #3,751 |
| 1958 | 119 | #690 | 12 | #3,675 |
| 1957 | 91 | #788 | 17 | #2,894 |
| 1956 | 93 | #768 | 12 | #3,624 |
| 1955 | 69 | #898 | 8 | #4,617 |
| 1954 | 84 | #781 | 5 | #6,324 |
| 1953 | 94 | #741 | 12 | #3,402 |
| 1952 | 78 | #799 | 9 | #4,020 |
| 1951 | 54 | #957 | 5 | #5,951 |
| 1950 | 67 | #833 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 70 | #819 | 7 | #4,529 |
| 1948 | 71 | #809 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 98 | #701 | 6 | #5,112 |
| 1946 | 86 | #702 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 67 | #751 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 59 | #822 | 6 | #4,382 |
| 1943 | 71 | #776 | 5 | #5,130 |
| 1942 | 80 | #721 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 62 | #805 | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 67 | #755 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 52 | #853 | 7 | #3,668 |
| 1938 | 61 | #792 | 5 | #4,769 |
| 1937 | 43 | #966 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 43 | #944 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 26 | #1,343 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 40 | #1,035 | 5 | #4,757 |
| 1933 | 20 | #1,574 | 5 | #4,648 |
| 1932 | 31 | #1,227 | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 21 | #1,572 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 18 | #1,794 | 0 | – |
| 1929 | 11 | #2,549 | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 14 | #2,229 | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 24 | #1,584 | 6 | #4,633 |
| 1926 | 25 | #1,500 | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 12 | #2,543 | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 12 | #2,576 | 5 | #5,619 |
| 1923 | 13 | #2,407 | 0 | – |
| 1922 | 19 | #1,860 | 0 | – |
| 1921 | 7 | #3,758 | 0 | – |
| 1920 | 14 | #2,299 | 0 | – |
| 1919 | 14 | #2,225 | 6 | #4,621 |
| 1918 | 16 | #2,043 | 0 | – |
| 1917 | 8 | #3,115 | 0 | – |
| 1916 | 13 | #2,222 | 6 | #4,237 |
| 1915 | 13 | #2,137 | 0 | – |
| 1914 | 10 | #2,215 | 0 | – |
| 1913 | 5 | #3,108 | 0 | – |
| 1912 | 5 | #2,783 | 0 | – |
| 1911 | 10 | #1,173 | 0 | – |
| 1910 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1909 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1908 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1907 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1906 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1905 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 1904 | 7 | #1,031 | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 5 | #1,246 | 0 | – |
| 1902 | 5 | #1,252 | 0 | – |
Highest rank
As a boy name, Mel reached #690 in 1958. As a girl name, it reached #2,894 in 1957. Ranks count every name SSA published for that year and sex, so they go well past the top 1,000.
Names from the same era
These names were also most popular in the 1950s, with a similar number of babies. They can work as sibling or middle names that feel like they belong together.
Names spelled like Mel
Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2024. Counts are Social Security card applications for US births; SSA leaves out names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year. Updated 2026-10-05. How these numbers are made.