Melannie
A feminine name derived from the Greek word "melas," meaning dark or black.
Name Census estimates that about 1,682 living Americans carry the first name Melannie. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Melannie today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Melannie births was 2006 (82 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Melannie. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.7K
~ 1 in 203,778 Americans
Peak year
2006
82 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,531
Tracked since 1962
Popularity
Melannie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Melannie from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 625 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Melannie by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Melannie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Melannies live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. California, Texas, Arizona recorded the most babies named Melannie, while New Jersey, Illinois, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 110 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Melannie
Melannie is a feminine given name with roots in the Greek language. Its origins can be traced back to ancient times, deriving from the Greek word "melania," which means "black" or "dark." This connection likely stems from the dark complexion or hair color associated with the name's early bearers.
The name found its way into various ancient texts and historical records, including mentions in Greek mythology and literature. One notable example is the figure of Melanippe, a character from Greek mythology who was a daughter of the river god Nilus.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Melannie can be found in Byzantine Empire records from the 5th century AD. During this era, the name was primarily used among Greek-speaking communities within the empire's boundaries.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Melannie. One of the earliest examples is Saint Melania the Elder (c. 350-410), a Roman Christian saint and Desert Mother known for her asceticism and charitable works.
Another prominent figure was Melania the Younger (c. 383-439), a Roman nun and Desert Mother who inherited a vast fortune and dedicated her life to philanthropy and establishing monasteries.
In the 11th century, Melanippe Tzamantourou (c. 1030-1090) was a Byzantine poet and scholar known for her contributions to the literary and intellectual circles of Constantinople.
During the Renaissance period, Melania Felice (c. 1510-1570) was an Italian poet and writer who gained recognition for her work in both Latin and Italian languages.
Melanie Calvat (1555-1619), a French noblewoman and scholar, also made her mark in history as a prominent figure in the literary and intellectual circles of her time.
While these examples are not exhaustive, they provide a glimpse into the historical significance and diverse backgrounds of individuals who have carried the name Melannie throughout the centuries.
People
Melannie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Melannie as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Melannie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Melannie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,682 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Melannie going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 203,778 US residents.
Is Melannie a common name?
We classify Melannie as "Rare". It ranks above 93% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,727 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Melannie most popular?
The single biggest year for Melannie was 2006, when 82 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Melannie is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Melannie a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Melannie in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.