Meliza
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the Greek word "meli" meaning "honey".
Name Census estimates that about 1,008 living Americans carry the first name Meliza. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Meliza today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Meliza births was 1997 (49 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Meliza. 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.
People living today
1.0K
~ 1 in 340,034 Americans
Peak year
1997
49 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2023 SSA rank
#16,788
Tracked since 1967
Popularity
Meliza: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Meliza from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 323 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Meliza 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 Meliza during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Melizas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Meliza, while Illinois, New York, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 94 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Meliza
The name Meliza is believed to have its origins in the ancient Greek language, where it was derived from the Greek word "melissa," meaning "honey bee." This association with the industrious and sweet-producing insect suggests that the name may have been bestowed upon individuals with a diligent and kind nature.
In ancient Greek mythology, Melissa was the name of one of the nymphs who nurtured and tended to the infant Zeus, the king of the gods. This mythological connection adds a sense of nurturing and caregiving to the name's connotations.
The earliest recorded use of the name Meliza can be traced back to the Byzantine Empire, where it was a relatively uncommon but not unheard-of name. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Meliza of Constantinople, a noblewoman who lived in the 9th century and was known for her philanthropic endeavors.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Meliza maintained a presence, albeit a modest one, in various parts of Europe, particularly in regions influenced by Greek culture and language. One notable figure from this period was Meliza of Verona, an Italian poet and scholar who lived in the 13th century and was renowned for her contributions to the literary and intellectual circles of her time.
As the Renaissance dawned, the name Meliza experienced a resurgence in popularity, especially among the aristocratic and educated classes who sought to revive and celebrate the classical traditions of ancient Greece. One such individual was Meliza de' Medici, a member of the influential Medici family who lived in 16th century Florence and was known for her patronage of the arts and her support of Renaissance humanist ideals.
In the 18th century, Meliza Haywood, an English writer and actress, gained recognition for her works of prose fiction, which explored themes of gender, class, and societal norms. Her literary contributions helped to establish Meliza as a name associated with intellectual and creative pursuits.
As the centuries progressed, the name Meliza continued to be used, albeit with varying degrees of popularity, in different parts of the world. One notable figure from more recent history was Meliza Banuelos, a Mexican-American civil rights activist and labor organizer who fought for fair working conditions and workers' rights in the early 20th century.
People
Meliza + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Meliza 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
Meliza: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Meliza?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,008 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Meliza 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 340,034 US residents.
Is Meliza a common name?
We classify Meliza as "Rare". It ranks above 90.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,048 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Meliza most popular?
The single biggest year for Meliza was 1997, when 49 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Meliza is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Meliza a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Meliza 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.