Melanie
Girl nameMelanie has been given to 263,254 babies in the U.S. since 1886. It peaked in 1972 and currently ranks #142 for girls (2025).
Meaning & origin /ˈmɛləni/
From French Mélanie, from Latin Melania, the name of two Roman fifth century saints, from Ancient Greek μέλας (mélas, “black, dark”).
Origin: Ancient Greek
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
263,254
Peak year
1972 (6,320 babies)
Rank in 2025
#142 for girls
First recorded
1886
10-year trend
▼ -41%
Gender split
100% girls / 0% boys
Famous people named Melanie
Melanie Griffith
American actress
Melanie Klein
British Austrian born psychoanalyst (1882–1960)
Thandiwe Newton
English actress (born 1972)
Melanie Martinez
Mexican-American singer-songwriter
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Melanie.
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