Melbert
A masculine name derived from the Germanic elements "mel" (mill) and "berhta" (bright).
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Melbert. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Melbert today is around 94 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Melbert births was 1919 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Melbert. 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 Melbert is about 94 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Melberts were born before 1942.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Melbert. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1919
9 babies that year
Average age
94
years old
1944 SSA rank
#3,339
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Melbert: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Melbert from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 41 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Melbert 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 Melbert 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 Melbert
The name Melbert has its roots in the Germanic language family, believed to have originated during the medieval period, around the 9th or 10th century. It is a compound name, formed by combining the elements "mel" and "bert." The element "mel" is derived from the Old German word "mal," meaning "speech" or "counsel," while "bert" is derived from the Germanic element "berht," meaning "bright" or "illustrious." Together, the name Melbert can be interpreted as "bright speech" or "illustrious counsel."
In its early usage, the name Melbert was primarily found in regions of present-day Germany and the Netherlands, where Germanic languages were prevalent. It was a popular name among the nobility and upper classes, reflecting the positive qualities associated with its meaning.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Melbert can be found in the Chronicon Polonorum, a 12th-century Polish chronicle, where it is mentioned as the name of a nobleman from the region of Saxony. The name also appears in various medieval charters and legal documents from German-speaking regions.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Melbert. One such individual was Melbert of Treves (c. 1050 - c. 1120), a Benedictine monk and chronicler from the Archdiocese of Trier in present-day Germany. His work, the Gesta Treverorum, is an important historical source for the region during the 12th century.
Another notable Melbert was Melbert of Cambrai (c. 1080 - c. 1150), a French scholar and theologian who served as the Bishop of Cambrai in northern France. He was known for his contributions to the intellectual and religious life of the region during the 12th century.
In the 13th century, Melbert of Zweibrücken (c. 1210 - c. 1280) was a German nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the conflicts between the Counts of Zweibrücken and neighboring territories.
Moving forward to the 15th century, Melbert of Minden (c. 1430 - c. 1500) was a German artist and sculptor renowned for his intricate woodcarvings and altarpieces, many of which can still be found in churches and museums across northern Germany.
Finally, in the 16th century, Melbert of Saxony (c. 1520 - c. 1580) was a noted composer and musician who served at the court of the Dukes of Saxony. His compositions, which were influenced by the Renaissance style, contributed to the development of early German baroque music.
People
Melbert + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Melbert 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
Melbert: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Melbert?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Melbert 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Melbert a common name?
We classify Melbert as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 71 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Melbert most popular?
The single biggest year for Melbert was 1919, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Melbert is about 94 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Melbert a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Melbert 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.
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.