Meelad
Of Arabic origin, meaning celebration or festivities commemorating a particular event.
Name Census estimates that about 14 living Americans carry the first name Meelad. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Meelad today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Meelad births was 1997 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Meelad. 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 Meelad. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
14
~ 1 in 24,482,453 Americans
Peak year
1997
7 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2000 SSA rank
#8,806
Tracked since 1997
Popularity
Meelad: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Meelad from the 1990s through to the 2000s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 7 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
Meelad 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 Meelad during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Meelads live
Origin
Meaning and history of Meelad
The name Meelad derives from the Arabic word "Milad," which means "birth" or "anniversary of birth." It is closely associated with the Islamic faith and has its roots in the Middle East, particularly in regions where Arabic is spoken.
The earliest recorded use of the name Meelad can be traced back to the 7th century, during the time of Prophet Muhammad and the advent of Islam. The name gained significance due to its connection with the celebration of the Prophet's birthday, known as "Eid Milad un Nabi" or "Mawlid."
In Islamic tradition, the name Meelad is often given to children born on the occasion of Eid Milad un Nabi, which falls on the 12th day of the Islamic month of Rabi' al-awwal. This practice is observed by many Muslims as a way to honor the Prophet and commemorate his birth.
One of the earliest and most notable historical figures to bear the name Meelad was Meelad ibn Yahya al-Azdi, a renowned Arab poet who lived in the 7th century. He was known for his eloquent verses and his contributions to Arabic literature during the early Islamic era.
Another notable figure was Meelad al-Tabrizi, a 12th-century Persian scholar and writer. He was renowned for his works on Islamic philosophy, theology, and mysticism, and his writings had a significant influence on the intellectual discourse of his time.
In the 14th century, Meelad al-Dimashqi, a Syrian scholar and historian, gained prominence for his extensive writings on the history and geography of the Middle East. His works, such as "Nukhbat al-Dahr fi 'Aja'ib al-Barr wa al-Bahr" (The Cream of the Age Concerning the Marvels of Land and Sea), provided valuable insights into the cultural and social landscape of the region.
Another notable figure was Meelad al-Andalusi, a 15th-century Andalusian philosopher and mathematician. He made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and astronomy, and his works were widely studied and appreciated in the Islamic world.
In more recent history, Meelad Hankir, a Syrian writer and journalist born in 1973, has gained recognition for his literary works and his advocacy for human rights and freedom of expression. His memoir, "Memoir of a Syrian Arab Refugee," chronicled his experiences as a refugee fleeing the Syrian Civil War.
While the name Meelad has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has also been adopted by people of various backgrounds and ethnicities, particularly in regions with significant Muslim populations or cultural influences.
People
Meelad + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Meelad 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
Meelad: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Meelad?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 14 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Meelad 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 24,482,453 US residents.
Is Meelad a common name?
We classify Meelad as "Very Rare". It ranks above 34% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 14 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Meelad most popular?
The single biggest year for Meelad was 1997, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Meelad is about 27 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 Meelad in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Meelad a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Meelad in the SSA data are male. 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 Meelad still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Meelad 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 Meelad 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 common is the name Meelad?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.