Skip to content
BabyNames
Girl name#1,071 of girl names

Minerva

Pronounced M AH0 N ER1 V AH0 (ARPABET)

  • 3 syllables
  • Peaked 1955
  • 145 years in use
Compare

How popular is Minerva?

Minerva is a girls' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 15,739 children — the 1,071st most common girls' name on record.

It is gaining, with the past decade running 53% ahead of the one before it. Its best single year was 1955, when 221 children were given it.

06312518825018901920195019802010
1955221

Nicknames

Common short forms: Minnie.

Characteristics

  • 3 syllables
Phonetic detail
Pronunciations:
M AH0 N ER1 V AH0 · M IH0 N ER1 V AH0
Stress pattern:
010 · 010
Syllables:
3

Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.

Names like Minerva

Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.

Sibling names for Minerva

Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.

Frequently asked questions

How popular is the name Minerva?
Minerva ranks 1,071st among girls' names in US records, with 15,739 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 753.
Is Minerva a unisex name?
No. Minerva is recorded almost entirely as a girls' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
When was Minerva most popular?
1955, when 221 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
What are common nicknames for Minerva?
Minnie. These are recorded as separate names in their own right, so each has its own page and its own popularity curve.