Girl · #1,904 in 2026

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
Current Rank
#1,904
Peak Rank
#932 (2017)
Total Babies
4K
5-Yr Trend
-43%
1913
First Year
2026
Last Year
2017
Peak Year
#932
Peak Rank
4K
Total Count
89
Years Active

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

Melania first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1913, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2017, when 283 Melanias were born — ranking #932 that year. As of 2026, Melania ranks #1,904 for baby girls with 105 births, falling sharply (-43%). In total, more than 4K Melanias have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

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

What does the name Melania mean?
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:
What is the origin of the name Melania?
Melania has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Italian, Spanish, Polish, Romanian, Late Roman, Hungarian, Slovak.
How popular is Melania in 2026?
In 2026, Melania ranks #1,904 among girls' names in the U.S., with 105 babies given the name that year.
When was Melania most popular?
Melania reached its peak popularity in 2017, ranking #932 that year with 283 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Melania most popular?
Melania has historically been most popular in New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Melania.
Is Melania a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Melania is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Melania?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Melania include Flonnie, Kenneth, Cambria. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Flonnie
Peak #932
👧
Kenneth
Peak #932
👧
Cambria
Peak #932
👧
Ela
Peak #931
👧
Zeta
Peak #931
👧
Veola
Peak #931
👧
Lavelle
Peak #933
👧
Kevin
Peak #933

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

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.