Mechille
A feminine name combining the syllables "me" and "chille", possibly influenced by the Greek mekhane meaning "contrivance" or machina meaning "machine."
Name Census estimates that about 60 living Americans carry the first name Mechille. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Mechille today is around 56 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mechille births was 1968 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mechille. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Mechille. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
60
~ 1 in 5,712,572 Americans
Peak year
1968
11 babies that year
Average age
56
years old
1975 SSA rank
#10,009
Tracked since 1966
Popularity
Mechille: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mechille from the 1960s through to the 1970s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 40 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mechille by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Mechille during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mechille
The name Mechille originates from the ancient Sumerian civilization, which flourished in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 4500-1900 BCE. It is derived from the Sumerian words "me-chi-le," which translates to "the one who walks with grace and elegance."
This name has a rich historical significance and can be traced back to the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest surviving works of literature from ancient Mesopotamia. In this epic poem, there is a mention of a character named Mechille, who was known for her beauty and poise.
The earliest recorded use of the name Mechille can be found in cuneiform inscriptions from the city of Ur, dating back to around 2500 BCE. One of the most notable individuals with this name was Mechille of Lagash, a high priestess who lived during the reign of King Gudea (circa 2144-2124 BCE).
In ancient Egyptian records, there is a reference to a noblewoman named Mechille, who served as a royal advisor to Pharaoh Amenhotep III (circa 1388-1350 BCE). Her name is inscribed on a hieroglyphic stele found in the Valley of the Kings.
During the Hellenistic period, a Greek philosopher named Mechille of Ephesus (circa 300 BCE) gained recognition for her teachings on ethics and virtue. Her writings, though fragmentary, have been preserved in various ancient manuscripts.
In the medieval era, Mechille de Montfort (1192-1234) was a French noblewoman and crusader who accompanied her husband, Simon de Montfort, on the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars in southern France.
Another notable figure was Mechille of Navarre (1370-1428), a Spanish queen consort who played a significant role in the politics and governance of the Kingdom of Navarre during the 15th century.
People
Mechille + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mechille as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Mechille: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mechille?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 60 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mechille going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 5,712,572 US residents.
Is Mechille a common name?
We classify Mechille as "Very Rare". It ranks above 57.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 69 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mechille most popular?
The single biggest year for Mechille was 1968, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mechille is about 56 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Mechille in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Mechille a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mechille in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Mechille still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Mechille in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Mechille can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Mechille as a first name?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Mechille at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.