Meda
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly relating to "honey".
Name Census estimates that about 320 living Americans carry the first name Meda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Meda today is around 68 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Meda births was 1915 (55 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Meda. 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
- • The typical person named Meda is about 68 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Medas were born before 1968.
People living today
320
~ 1 in 1,071,107 Americans
Peak year
1915
55 babies that year
Average age
68
years old
2018 SSA rank
#15,023
Tracked since 1880
Popularity
Meda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Meda from the 1880s through to the 2010s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 343 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Meda 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 Meda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Medas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Pennsylvania, Texas, Arkansas recorded the most babies named Meda, while West Virginia, Missouri, Arkansas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 16 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Meda
The name Meda finds its origins in Ancient Greek, derived from the word "medon," meaning "ruler" or "protector." It was a popular name among the Greeks, particularly in the regions of Attica and the Peloponnese, during the Classical period (5th-4th centuries BC).
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Meda can be found in the works of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who mentioned a Meda as one of the wives of the Persian king Darius I, who ruled from 522 to 486 BC. This suggests that the name was also used in the Persian Empire during that era.
In ancient Greek mythology, Meda was the name of one of the Oceanids, the three thousand daughters of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys. She was associated with the concept of moderation and balance, reflecting the name's meaning as a protector or ruler.
During the Byzantine era (4th-15th centuries AD), the name Meda gained popularity among Greek Christians, often associated with the virtues of humility and piety. One notable figure was Meda of Bithynia, a Christian martyr who lived in the 3rd century AD and was executed for her faith during the persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Diocletian.
In the Middle Ages, the name Meda was relatively rare but still found in certain regions of Europe. One notable bearer was Meda of Flanders (c. 1090-1167), a Flemish noblewoman and countess who played a significant role in the political affairs of the County of Flanders during the 12th century.
Another historical figure with the name Meda was Meda de' Mozzi (c. 1370-1456), an Italian noblewoman and philanthropist from Florence. She was known for her charitable works and her support of the arts and literature during the Renaissance period.
During the Renaissance and Early Modern periods, the name Meda remained relatively uncommon but was still used occasionally, particularly in parts of Italy and Greece. One notable bearer was Meda Cambiaghi (1578-1628), an Italian painter and portraitist active in Milan during the early 17th century.
In more recent times, the name Meda has been less prevalent, but there have been a few notable individuals who have borne it, such as Meda Mládková (1919-2003), a Czech journalist and politician who was active in the resistance against the Nazi occupation during World War II.
People
Meda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Meda 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
Meda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Meda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 320 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Meda 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 1,071,107 US residents.
Is Meda a common name?
We classify Meda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,882 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Meda most popular?
The single biggest year for Meda was 1915, when 55 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Meda is about 68 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Meda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Meda 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.
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.