How Many People Are Named Meli?

An estimated 174 people in the United States have the first name Meli. It is almost exclusively a female name. The average bearer is 12 years old, and Meli peaked in popularity in 2024 with 15 births that year.

Below you will find a full statistical profile of Meli as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Meli paired with any surname.

Estimated Living Americans

174

About 1 in 1,969,853 people in the U.S.

Rarity

Very Rare

Very Rare Very Common

Predicted Gender

Female

100.0% confidence

Average Age

12

years old

Peak Year

2024

15 births

Total Registered

176

since 1880

Gender Distribution for Meli

Meli is almost exclusively a female name. Out of 176 total births registered, 100.0% were female.

Male 0 (0.0%)
Female 176 (100.0%)

Meli as a female name

Ranked #7,443 in 2024

15 female births in 2024

Peak: 2024 (15 births)

Meli in the 2020 Census

The 2020 Census recorded 446 people with the first name Meli, which placed it at #22,349 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.

Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.

Gender in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, Meli was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 446 people with this name in that snapshot, 9.6% were male and 90.4% were female. That is less heavily female than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 100.0% female.

Census Count

446

people with this name

Census Rank

#22,349

among Census first names

Frequency Rate

0.15

per 100,000 people

Male 43 (9.6%)
Female 403 (90.4%)

Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, the first name Meli was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Hispanic (54.44%). The next largest recorded groups were White (22.22%) and Asian and Pacific Islander (10.89%).

These percentages describe the people who had the first name Meli in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

White
22.22%
Black
4.22%
Hispanic
54.44%
Asian/Pacific Islander
10.89%
American Indian/Alaska Native
1.33%
Two or More Races
6.89%

2020 Census demographic breakdown

Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Meli.

Group Share Count
Hispanic 54.44% 245
White 22.22% 100
Asian and Pacific Islander 10.89% 49
Two or More Races 6.89% 31
Black 4.22% 19
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.33% 6

The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.

Meli: Popularity Over Time

SSA records for Meli span from the 1980s to the 2020s, covering 4 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2010s, when 68 babies were registered. Meli remains highly popular today, with recent registration numbers near its historical peak.

0 3 6 9 12 15 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020

Meli by Decade

How has Meli tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.

Decade Total Male Female
1980s 5 0 5
2000s 46 0 46
2010s 68 0 68
2020s 57 0 57

Meli + Last Name Combinations

How many people share a full name with Meli as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Meli: Questions and Answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Meli?

We estimate approximately 174 people named Meli are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 1,969,853 Americans share this first name.

Is Meli a common name?

Meli is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 72.3% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 176 births have been registered with this name since 1880.

When was Meli most popular?

Meli reached peak popularity in 2024, when 15 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Meli is approximately 12 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.

How common was Meli in the 2020 Census?

The 2020 Census recorded 446 people with the first name Meli. That placed it at #22,349 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.15 people per 100,000.

Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?

Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.

What does the SSA popularity chart show?

The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Meli was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.

What does the Census say about the gender split for Meli?

In the 2020 Census snapshot, Meli was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 9.6% male and 90.4% female.

What does the Census say about the background of people named Meli?

In the 2020 Census, the first name Meli was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Hispanic (54.44%). The next largest recorded groups were White (22.22%) and Asian and Pacific Islander (10.89%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?

The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.

Does every first name have Census demographic data?

No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.

Is Meli a female name?

Meli is predominantly female. 100.0% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.

Why can Meli have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?

Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Meli peaked in 2024, and the average living bearer is about 12 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.

How many Meli Smiths are there?

To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Meli Smith, Meli Johnson, Meli Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.

Where does this data come from?

Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.

Search for a full name combination