Girl · #7,830 in 2026

Melena

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

Melena is a form of blood in stool which refers to the dark black, tarry feces that are commonly associated with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The black color and characteristic strong odor are caused by hemoglobin in the blood being altered by digestive enzymes and intestinal bacteria.

Current Rank

#7,830

Peak Rank

#2,516 (2001)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

+5%

1957

First Year

2026

Last Year

2001

Peak Year

#2516

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Melena

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

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

Etymology

The origin of melena is dated to the early 19th century via modern Latin , via Greek melaina (feminine of melas , black). [ citation needed ]

The Story of Melena

Melena first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1957, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2001, when 52 Melenas were born — ranking #2,808 that year. As of 2026, Melena ranks #7,830 for baby girls with 13 births, gradually rising (+5%). In total, more than 1K Melenas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Melena

Phonetically similar names — useful when Melena 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 Melena

What does the name Melena mean?

How popular is Melena in 2026?

In 2026, Melena ranks #7,830 among girls' names in the U.S., with 13 babies given the name that year.

When was Melena most popular?

Melena reached its peak popularity in 2001, ranking #2,516 that year with 52 babies given the name.

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

Melena has historically been most popular in Kentucky, Ohio, California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Melena.

Is Melena a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Melena?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Melena include Mike, Valjean, Cathlyn. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Melena

Melena is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1957 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Melena's peak popularity came in 2001 when it ranked #2,516. Use the chart and map above to compare Melena'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.