Melba
Melba was the 12736th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 7 babies. Its best year was 1924, when it ranked 202nd with 998 babies. More babies were named Melba in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning from Melbourne (Nellie Melba) · English
Say it MEL-buh /ˈmɛlbə/
- Rank in 2025
- #12,736 girls, up 3,967 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 7girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1924998 babies
- Total since 1880
- 34,925babies recorded
What does the name Melba mean?
Melba was coined as a stage name by the Australian opera singer Nellie Melba (Helen Porter Mitchell), from her home city of Melbourne. Peach Melba and Melba toast are named after her. Her fame made Melba a girls' name in the US in the early 20th century; it was most common in the 1920s and 1930s.
Melbourne (English, “Australian city (via Nellie Melba)”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Nellie.
See also: English names, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Melba', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Nellie Melba', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Melba popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 52 since 1921.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12,736 | 7 |
| 2020 | #16,703 | 5 |
| 2010 | — | — |
| 2000 | #6,392 | 17 |
| 1990 | #4,333 | 23 |
| 1980 | #2,206 | 46 |
| 1970 | #1,205 | 94 |
| 1960 | #634 | 255 |
| 1950 | #403 | 393 |
| 1940 | #232 | 731 |
| 1930 | #210 | 862 |
| 1920 | #210 | 907 |
| 1910 | #305 | 160 |
| 1900 | #512 | 44 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Melba, counting every spelling?
Melba has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Melba?
7 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Melba (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Melba born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 1,224 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Melba.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Melba?
About 10,500 people born in the US named Melba are alive today, with a median age of 76; half are between 67 and 84. That makes Melba a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Melba: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Melba, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Melba
What does Melba mean?
Melba means “from Melbourne (Nellie Melba)” (English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Melba?
Melba was the 12736th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 7 babies. Its best year was 1924, when it ranked 202nd with 998 babies. More babies were named Melba in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Melba a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Melba in the US.