Minerva
Girl name · #2099 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 89 baby girls were named Minerva, placing it at #2099 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #3211, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 20,225 girls born in 2025 was named Minerva.
The 145-year story
Minerva first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 63 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1955, when 221 girls were named Minerva — good for #624 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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.
Babies named Minerva per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Minerva against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Minerva in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Minerva is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Minerva will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Minerva is most common
State-level data for Minerva is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Minerva
Statistically, parents drawn to Minerva tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Marta, Melodie, Margarita, Martina, and Lucinda.
MartaMelodieMargaritaMartinaLucindaMarlaMalindaSusanna
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Minerva | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 89 | #2099 |
| 2024 | 74 | #2434 |
| 2023 | 93 | #2076 |
| 2022 | 83 | #2253 |
| 2021 | 84 | #2212 |
| 2020 | 69 | #2500 |
| 2019 | 84 | #2193 |
| 2018 | 82 | #2238 |
| 2017 | 68 | #2573 |
| 2016 | 65 | #2667 |
| 2015 | 51 | #3211 |
| 2014 | 47 | #3369 |
| 2013 | 46 | #3404 |
| 2012 | 39 | #3915 |
| 2011 | 38 | #3916 |
| 2010 | 37 | #4023 |
| 2009 | 41 | #3800 |
| 2008 | 48 | #3420 |
| 2007 | 72 | #2568 |
| 2006 | 65 | #2728 |
| 2005 | 59 | #2787 |
| 2004 | 58 | #2781 |
| 2003 | 61 | #2610 |
| 2002 | 55 | #2745 |
| 2001 | 45 | #3091 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Minerva a popular girl name?
Minerva ranked #2099 among girls in 2025 with 89 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3211.
When was the name Minerva most popular?
Minerva peaked in 1955, when 221 American girls received the name (ranked #624 that year). Since 1955 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Minerva?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 20,225 newborn American girls was named Minerva. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very 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.