Girl · #8,205 in 2026

Morelia

Name: Popularity of the name Morelia in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Morelia, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Morelia is the capital and most populous city of the Mexican state of Michoacán. Situated in the Guayangareo Valley in the north-central part of the state, it is the municipal seat of the municipality of Morelia. The main pre-Hispanic cultures here were the Purépecha and the Matlatzinca, but no major cities were founded in the valley during this time.

Current Rank

#8,205

Peak Rank

#2,084 (1996)

Total Babies

774

5-Yr Trend

+15%

1995

First Year

2026

Last Year

1996

Peak Year

#2084

Peak Rank

774

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Morelia

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history

Jardin de las Rosas Garden and Park Street and Cathedral of Morelia Human settlements in the Guayangareo Valley in which Morelia is located have been dated back as far as the 7th century. Artifacts found here have shown Teotihuacán culture influence on early cultures in this area. In the 12th century, the Purépecha arrived in the valley. They dominated it politically for the rest of the pre-Hispanic period but did not build any major settlements here. Between the 12th and the 15th centuries, Matlatzincas moved into the area with permission of the Purépechas, who were based around nearby Pátzcu

The Story of Morelia

Morelia first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1995, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1996, when 66 Morelias were born — ranking #2,084 that year. As of 2026, Morelia ranks #8,205 for baby girls with 12 births, gradually rising (+15%). In total, more than 774 Morelias have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Notable people named Morelia

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

Alma Graciela Haro Cabello (born 1927), singer known as Esmeralda
Agustín de Iturbide , Mexican army general and politician, 1st emperor of Mexico
Felipe Calderón , president of Mexico from 2006-2012
Pascual Ortiz Rubio (1877-1963), president of Mexico from 1930-1932
Junior Félix Madrigal (born 1982), Mexican footballer
José Manuel Ponce , Mexican race car driver
Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez , important Mexican insurgent in Mexican independence
José María Morelos , important Mexican insurgent, Key in the Mexican Independence

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Where is Morelia most common?

Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.

Mexico
79%
BO
6%
United States
5%
GT
5%
EC
5%

Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.

Names that sound like Morelia

Phonetically similar names — useful when Morelia is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Morelli
Morella
Morally
Mirella
Morula
Morreale
Marilla
Merrily
Moralize
Moralise
Morelos
Marilee

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Morelia

What does the name Morelia mean?

How popular is Morelia in 2026?

In 2026, Morelia ranks #8,205 among girls' names in the U.S., with 12 babies given the name that year.

When was Morelia most popular?

Morelia reached its peak popularity in 1996, ranking #2,084 that year with 66 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Morelia most popular?

Morelia has historically been most popular in Washington, California, Illinois. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Morelia.

Is Morelia a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Morelia is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Morelia?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Morelia include Rosaura, Schyler, Aahana. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Morelia

Morelia is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1995 and has accumulated 774 births in the dataset. Morelia's peak popularity came in 1996 when it ranked #2,084. Use the chart and map above to compare Morelia's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.