Melania
Melania is a feminine given name of Latin origin that derives from the Greek word melaina, the feminine form of the adjective melas meaning "black" or "dark". The name was borne by the two saints Melania the Elder and her granddaughter Melania the Younger, and was the origin of the name Melanie. People named Melania include:
- Italian
- Spanish
- Polish
- Romanian
Meaning & Origin of Melania
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Melania is a feminine given name of Latin origin that derives from the Greek word melaina, the feminine form of the adjective melas meaning "black" or "dark". The name was borne by the two saints Melania the Elder and her granddaughter Melania the Younger, and was the origin of the name Melanie. People named Melania include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Italian
- Spanish
- Polish
- Romanian
- Late Roman
- Hungarian
- Slovak
The Story of Melania
The earliest SSA record of Melania as a baby girl name dates back to 1913, when 8 babies received it. 2017 was its biggest year on record, with 283 newborns named Melania — #932 in the national rankings. About 39% of every Melania on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Melania ranks #1,904 for baby girls with 105 births, falling sharply (-43%). All told, over 4K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Melania
Phonetically similar names — useful when Melania is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Melania
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About the name Melania
Melania is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1913 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Melania's peak popularity came in 2017 when it ranked #932. Use the chart and map above to compare Melania's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2017 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.