Permelia
A feminine given name derived from the Greek words "peri" meaning "all around" and "melos" meaning "beautiful".
Name Census estimates that about 73 living Americans carry the first name Permelia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Permelia today is around 80 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Permelia births was 1918 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Permelia. 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 Permelia is about 80 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Permelias were born before 1956.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Permelia. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
73
~ 1 in 4,695,265 Americans
Peak year
1918
20 babies that year
Average age
80
years old
1963 SSA rank
#6,410
Tracked since 1880
Popularity
Permelia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Permelia from the 1880s through to the 1960s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 106 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
Permelia 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 Permelia 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 Permelia
The name Permelia has its roots in ancient Greece, originating from the Greek word "PermÄ"lia," which means "very black." It was initially used to describe someone with dark hair or complexion. The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the 5th century BC, appearing in Greek literature and historical records.
During the classical era, Permelia was a relatively uncommon name, primarily confined to the Greek-speaking regions of the Mediterranean. However, it gained some prominence in the 2nd century AD when a notable Greek philosopher named Permelia of Ephesus lived and taught in the city of Ephesus, which is now part of modern-day Turkey.
As the centuries passed, the name spread beyond Greece and was adopted by various cultures across Europe and the Middle East. In the 6th century AD, a Christian saint named Permelia of Alexandria was venerated in Egypt, further contributing to the name's dissemination within the Christian community.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Permelia can be found in the 9th century AD, when a Byzantine noblewoman named Permelia Doukas was mentioned in historical chronicles. She was a member of the influential Doukas family, which played a significant role in the political and cultural life of the Byzantine Empire.
In the 12th century, Permelia Komnene, a daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, gained recognition as a scholar and patron of the arts. Her patronage of literature and philosophy helped preserve and promote the intellectual heritage of ancient Greece during the Middle Ages.
During the Renaissance period, the name Permelia experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly in Italy. In the 16th century, Permelia Strozzi, an Italian poet and humanist, became known for her contributions to the literary circles of her time.
As the name journeyed across continents, it found its way to the Americas, where it was embraced by English-speaking communities. One notable figure was Permelia Byrd, an American educator and author who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. She established several schools and published works aimed at promoting education for women.
While the name Permelia has remained relatively rare throughout history, it has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and eras, each leaving their unique mark on the cultural and intellectual landscapes of their respective times.
People
Permelia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Permelia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Permelia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Permelia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 73 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Permelia 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 4,695,265 US residents.
Is Permelia a common name?
We classify Permelia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 60% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 551 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Permelia most popular?
The single biggest year for Permelia was 1918, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Permelia is about 80 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Permelia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Permelia 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.