Mela
Girl name · #4997 in 2025 · Uniqueness 93/100
Mela is currently the #4997 girl name in the United States — 26 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #3989, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 69,231 girls born in 2025 was named Mela.
Babies named Mela per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 120-year story
Mela first appears in the Social Security records in 1905, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2019, when 55 girls were named Mela — good for #2962 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Mela against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Mela in class?
Mela scores 93 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Mela will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Mela is most common
State-level data for Mela is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Mela
Statistically, parents drawn to Mela tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Raela, Xela, Meila, Aela, and Tula.
RaelaXelaMeilaAelaTulaSilaElaMunira
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Mela | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26 | #4987 |
| 2024 | 24 | #5300 |
| 2023 | 27 | #4873 |
| 2022 | 32 | #4378 |
| 2021 | 33 | #4245 |
| 2020 | 48 | #3221 |
| 2019 | 55 | #2962 |
| 2018 | 40 | #3739 |
| 2017 | 31 | #4477 |
| 2016 | 32 | #4423 |
| 2015 | 37 | #3989 |
| 2014 | 38 | #3925 |
| 2013 | 31 | #4543 |
| 2012 | 29 | #4836 |
| 2011 | 27 | #5063 |
| 2010 | 18 | #6904 |
| 2009 | 15 | #8058 |
| 2008 | 20 | #6559 |
| 2007 | 23 | #5895 |
| 2006 | 24 | #5545 |
| 2005 | 13 | #8330 |
| 2004 | 12 | #8716 |
| 2003 | 7 | #12408 |
| 2002 | 8 | #11108 |
| 1999 | 6 | #12688 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Mela a popular girl name?
Mela ranked #4997 among girls in 2025 with 26 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3989.
When was the name Mela most popular?
Mela peaked in 2019, when 55 American girls received the name (ranked #2962 that year). Since 2019 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Mela?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 69,231 newborn American girls was named Mela. It scores 93/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.