Is Melba a boy or girl name?
Melba was a girl name in the US. Across 1880–2024, 99.9% of the 34,918 US babies named Melba were girls. Fewer than 10 babies were given the name in 2024.
- Boy rank, 2024
- Not ranked
- Girl rank, 2024
- #11,750
- Babies named Melba since 1893
- 34,918
- Most popular year
- 1924
- 1,003 babies
Boys and girls named Melba, by decade
| Decade | Boys | Girls | Share girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 | 216 | 100% |
| 1900s | 0 | 763 | 100% |
| 1910s | 0 | 4,538 | 100% |
| 1920s | 25 | 9,099 | 99.7% |
| 1930s | 20 | 7,951 | 99.7% |
| 1940s | 7 | 5,691 | 99.9% |
| 1950s | 0 | 3,792 | 100% |
| 1960s | 0 | 1,538 | 100% |
| 1970s | 0 | 736 | 100% |
| 1980s | 0 | 311 | 100% |
| 1990s | 0 | 129 | 100% |
| 2000s | 0 | 50 | 100% |
| 2010s | 0 | 28 | 100% |
| 2020s | 0 | 24 | 100% |
Every year
| Year | Boys | Boy rank | Girls | Girl rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0 | – | 8 | #11,750 |
| 2023 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2022 | 0 | – | 11 | #9,439 |
| 2021 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 0 | – | 5 | #16,692 |
| 2019 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 0 | – | 8 | #12,378 |
| 2016 | 0 | – | 10 | #10,600 |
| 2015 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2014 | 0 | – | 5 | #18,330 |
| 2013 | 0 | – | 5 | #18,359 |
| 2012 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2011 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 0 | – | 6 | #16,568 |
| 2008 | 0 | – | 6 | #16,791 |
| 2007 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 0 | – | 8 | #12,366 |
| 2003 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 0 | – | 7 | #13,155 |
| 2001 | 0 | – | 6 | #14,723 |
| 2000 | 0 | – | 17 | #6,391 |
| 1999 | 0 | – | 9 | #10,048 |
| 1998 | 0 | – | 9 | #9,828 |
| 1997 | 0 | – | 8 | #10,451 |
| 1996 | 0 | – | 9 | #9,306 |
| 1995 | 0 | – | 10 | #8,516 |
| 1994 | 0 | – | 16 | #5,893 |
| 1993 | 0 | – | 10 | #8,476 |
| 1992 | 0 | – | 17 | #5,637 |
| 1991 | 0 | – | 18 | #5,319 |
| 1990 | 0 | – | 23 | #4,333 |
| 1989 | 0 | – | 22 | #4,319 |
| 1988 | 0 | – | 23 | #3,979 |
| 1987 | 0 | – | 35 | #2,823 |
| 1986 | 0 | – | 28 | #3,240 |
| 1985 | 0 | – | 18 | #4,381 |
| 1984 | 0 | – | 28 | #3,115 |
| 1983 | 0 | – | 36 | #2,537 |
| 1982 | 0 | – | 35 | #2,680 |
| 1981 | 0 | – | 40 | #2,432 |
| 1980 | 0 | – | 46 | #2,207 |
| 1979 | 0 | – | 47 | #2,137 |
| 1978 | 0 | – | 61 | #1,717 |
| 1977 | 0 | – | 51 | #1,941 |
| 1976 | 0 | – | 64 | #1,581 |
| 1975 | 0 | – | 69 | #1,493 |
| 1974 | 0 | – | 65 | #1,511 |
| 1973 | 0 | – | 85 | #1,234 |
| 1972 | 0 | – | 113 | #1,036 |
| 1971 | 0 | – | 87 | #1,274 |
| 1970 | 0 | – | 94 | #1,205 |
| 1969 | 0 | – | 77 | #1,286 |
| 1968 | 0 | – | 81 | #1,218 |
| 1967 | 0 | – | 105 | #1,000 |
| 1966 | 0 | – | 125 | #904 |
| 1965 | 0 | – | 144 | #830 |
| 1964 | 0 | – | 142 | #871 |
| 1963 | 0 | – | 183 | #760 |
| 1962 | 0 | – | 188 | #759 |
| 1961 | 0 | – | 238 | #668 |
| 1960 | 0 | – | 255 | #634 |
| 1959 | 0 | – | 265 | #612 |
| 1958 | 0 | – | 294 | #576 |
| 1957 | 0 | – | 388 | #485 |
| 1956 | 0 | – | 358 | #495 |
| 1955 | 0 | – | 404 | #446 |
| 1954 | 0 | – | 439 | #412 |
| 1953 | 0 | – | 460 | #395 |
| 1952 | 0 | – | 368 | #448 |
| 1951 | 0 | – | 423 | #399 |
| 1950 | 0 | – | 393 | #403 |
| 1949 | 0 | – | 427 | #379 |
| 1948 | 0 | – | 454 | #370 |
| 1947 | 0 | – | 523 | #349 |
| 1946 | 0 | – | 529 | #325 |
| 1945 | 0 | – | 502 | #306 |
| 1944 | 0 | – | 565 | #287 |
| 1943 | 0 | – | 597 | #286 |
| 1942 | 0 | – | 648 | #274 |
| 1941 | 7 | #3,043 | 715 | #242 |
| 1940 | 0 | – | 731 | #232 |
| 1939 | 0 | – | 781 | #213 |
| 1938 | 0 | – | 850 | #206 |
| 1937 | 0 | – | 789 | #212 |
| 1936 | 7 | #3,062 | 721 | #226 |
| 1935 | 0 | – | 758 | #225 |
| 1934 | 0 | – | 771 | #224 |
| 1933 | 5 | #3,984 | 776 | #217 |
| 1932 | 0 | – | 873 | #207 |
| 1931 | 8 | #3,014 | 770 | #217 |
| 1930 | 0 | – | 862 | #210 |
| 1929 | 5 | #4,353 | 817 | #217 |
| 1928 | 0 | – | 868 | #214 |
| 1927 | 6 | #4,041 | 892 | #213 |
| 1926 | 0 | – | 918 | #208 |
| 1925 | 0 | – | 938 | #210 |
| 1924 | 5 | #4,750 | 998 | #202 |
| 1923 | 0 | – | 922 | #211 |
| 1922 | 0 | – | 929 | #208 |
| 1921 | 9 | #3,138 | 910 | #210 |
| 1920 | 0 | – | 907 | #210 |
| 1919 | 0 | – | 791 | #221 |
| 1918 | 0 | – | 822 | #219 |
| 1917 | 0 | – | 701 | #234 |
| 1916 | 0 | – | 581 | #251 |
| 1915 | 0 | – | 493 | #264 |
| 1914 | 0 | – | 352 | #279 |
| 1913 | 0 | – | 274 | #286 |
| 1912 | 0 | – | 218 | #312 |
| 1911 | 0 | – | 146 | #328 |
| 1910 | 0 | – | 160 | #305 |
| 1909 | 0 | – | 123 | #327 |
| 1908 | 0 | – | 106 | #346 |
| 1907 | 0 | – | 113 | #327 |
| 1906 | 0 | – | 98 | #338 |
| 1905 | 0 | – | 102 | #337 |
| 1904 | 0 | – | 61 | #417 |
| 1903 | 0 | – | 45 | #479 |
| 1902 | 0 | – | 35 | #556 |
| 1901 | 0 | – | 36 | #512 |
| 1900 | 0 | – | 44 | #512 |
| 1899 | 0 | – | 46 | #431 |
| 1898 | 0 | – | 60 | #399 |
| 1897 | 0 | – | 36 | #485 |
| 1896 | 0 | – | 33 | #524 |
| 1895 | 0 | – | 19 | #735 |
| 1894 | 0 | – | 15 | #807 |
| 1893 | 0 | – | 7 | #1,256 |
Highest rank
As a boy name, Melba reached #3,014 in 1931. As a girl name, it reached #202 in 1924. 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 1920s, with a similar number of babies. They can work as sibling or middle names that feel like they belong together.
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.