Minerva
The Roman goddess of wisdom and craft, whose name may be Etruscan in origin. Romans connected it to mens, their word for mind.
Minerva in 2025
Minerva was given to 89 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 3,851st most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 37,251 babies born.
The history of Minerva
Minerva reached its highest point in 1955, when 221 babies were given the name, ranking 1,101st that year. Its best-ever ranking was 386th, in 1880.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 15,823 babies have been named Minerva. Half of them were born before 1948, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Minerva by decade
| Decade | Babies named Minerva | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 661 | 386 |
| 1890s | 781 | 425 |
| 1900s | 828 | 505 |
| 1910s | 1,591 | 621 |
| 1920s | 1,738 | 888 |
| 1930s | 1,248 | 988 |
| 1940s | 1,337 | 1,061 |
| 1950s | 1,874 | 1,101 |
| 1960s | 1,585 | 1,222 |
| 1970s | 1,070 | 1,634 |
| 1980s | 837 | 1,964 |
| 1990s | 669 | 2,734 |
| 2000s | 555 | 4,466 |
| 2010s | 557 | 3,935 |
| 2020s | 492 | 3,774 |
Where Minerva is heading
Minerva has risen 75% over the past decade, from 51 babies in 2015 to 89 in 2025.
Names like Minerva
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Minerva.