Meelah
A feminine Arabic name meaning "a beautiful friend or companion".
Name Census estimates that about 384 living Americans carry the first name Meelah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Meelah today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Meelah births was 2019 (34 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Meelah. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Meelah with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
384
~ 1 in 892,589 Americans
Peak year
2019
34 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,885
Tracked since 2006
Popularity
Meelah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Meelah from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 238 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Meelah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Meelah 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 Meelah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Meelahs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Meelah
The name Meelah is believed to have originated from the Arabic language, with its roots tracing back to the early centuries of the Islamic era. The name is derived from the Arabic word "mila," which means "beauty" or "grace." This name was particularly popular among the Arab populations of the Middle East and North Africa, reflecting the cultural significance placed on beauty and elegance in these regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Meelah can be found in the writings of the renowned Arab poet Al-Mutanabbi, who lived in the 10th century AD. In one of his poems, he made reference to a woman named Meelah, describing her as a embodiment of grace and charm. This poetic reference suggests that the name was in use during that time period, and was associated with qualities of beauty and refinement.
Throughout Islamic history, several notable figures bore the name Meelah. One such individual was Meelah bint Abi Sufyan, a prominent woman from the early days of Islam who was known for her wisdom and piety. She lived in the 7th century AD and was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad, playing an influential role in the spread of Islamic teachings.
Another historical figure with the name Meelah was Meelah al-Andalusiyya, a renowned poet and scholar who lived in the 11th century AD in the Andalusian region of Spain. Her poetry and literary works were celebrated for their elegant style and profound insights, earning her a revered place in the annals of Islamic literature.
In the realm of mysticism and spirituality, Meelah al-Mursiyya was a notable Sufi mystic who lived in the 13th century AD in the city of Murcia, Spain. She was known for her profound spiritual teachings and her contributions to the development of Sufi philosophy and practices.
Another influential figure with the name Meelah was Meelah al-Baghdadiyya, a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist who lived in the 12th century AD in Baghdad, Iraq. She was revered for her extensive knowledge of Islamic law and her expertise in various fields of Islamic studies.
While the name Meelah has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has also been adopted and used in various other cultures and regions over the centuries. The name's association with beauty, grace, and elegance has made it a popular choice among parents seeking a name that reflects these qualities.
People
Meelah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Meelah 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
Meelah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Meelah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 384 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Meelah 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 892,589 US residents.
Is Meelah a common name?
We classify Meelah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 387 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Meelah most popular?
The single biggest year for Meelah was 2019, when 34 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Meelah is about 9 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 Meelah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Meelah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Meelah 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 Meelah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Meelah 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 Meelah 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 are called Meelah?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.