Minka
A pet name derived from the Hungarian diminutive of Mary.
Name Census estimates that about 457 living Americans carry the first name Minka. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Minka today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Minka births was 2012 (43 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Minka. 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
457
~ 1 in 750,009 Americans
Peak year
2012
43 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,330
Tracked since 1966
Popularity
Minka: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Minka from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 277 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Minka remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Minka 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 Minka during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Minkas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Minka, while Florida, Texas, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Minka
The name Minka is a diminutive form of the Slavic name Mina, which is derived from the Latin name Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare. The name Minka has its origins in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly in countries with Slavic linguistic influences such as Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and parts of Germany.
In ancient Roman mythology, Minerva was one of the most revered deities, often depicted with an owl, symbolizing her association with wisdom and knowledge. The name Minerva itself is believed to have originated from the Etruscan word "menrva," meaning "divine intellect."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Minka can be traced back to the 16th century in Poland, where it was used as a diminutive form of Mina. Throughout the centuries, the name gained popularity across various Slavic regions and was adopted by families of different cultural backgrounds.
Notable historical figures bearing the name Minka include Minka Czarniecka (1879-1949), a Polish actress and theater director who played a significant role in the development of Polish theater in the early 20th century. Another prominent figure was Minka Žilková (1840-1919), a Czech writer and educator who advocated for women's rights and education in the Czech lands.
In the realm of literature, the name Minka appears in the works of renowned authors such as Ivan Turgenev's novel "Fathers and Sons," published in 1862, where a character named Minka Polosatov is mentioned. Additionally, the name is featured in the writings of Czech author Božena Němcová, who included a character named Minka in her famous collection of folk tales, "Babička" (The Grandmother), published in 1855.
Other notable individuals with the name Minka include Minka Kelly (born in 1980), an American actress known for her roles in television series like "Friday Night Lights" and "Titans." Minka Stoyanova (born in 1984) is a Bulgarian actress and model who has appeared in several Hollywood films.
It is worth noting that while the name Minka has maintained a presence throughout history, particularly in Slavic cultures, its popularity has varied across different regions and time periods. Nevertheless, its connection to the Roman goddess Minerva and its association with wisdom and intellect have endured, making it a name with a rich cultural and mythological heritage.
People
Minka + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Minka 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
Minka: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Minka?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 457 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Minka 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 750,009 US residents.
Is Minka a common name?
We classify Minka as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 465 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Minka most popular?
The single biggest year for Minka was 2012, when 43 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Minka is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Minka a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Minka 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.