Melanny
A feminine name of French origin meaning "black, dark-haired".
Name Census estimates that about 943 living Americans carry the first name Melanny. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Melanny today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Melanny births was 2013 (69 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Melanny. 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
943
~ 1 in 363,472 Americans
Peak year
2013
69 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,887
Tracked since 1997
Popularity
Melanny: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Melanny from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 489 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Melanny 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 Melanny during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Melannys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Melanny, while Virginia, Florida, Arizona recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 56 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Melanny
The name Melanny has its origins in the Greek language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Greek word "melaina," which means "black" or "dark." This connection to the color black likely stems from its association with dark hair or complexion.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Melanny can be found in ancient Greek texts from around the 5th century BCE. In these texts, the name was often used to describe characters with dark features or personalities. However, it was not a commonly used personal name during this time period.
The name Melanny did not gain significant popularity until the late Middle Ages, when it began to appear more frequently in various regions of Europe, particularly in areas with Greek cultural influences, such as Italy and parts of the Mediterranean region.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Melanny was Melanny of Salerno, an Italian nun and writer who lived in the 11th century. She is known for her work on medical texts and her contributions to the development of monastic medicine during the Middle Ages.
Another notable figure with the name Melanny was Melanny of Arles, a French noblewoman and landowner who lived in the 12th century. She was known for her involvement in various political and religious disputes of the time and her influence in the region of Provence.
In the 16th century, Melanny de la Cruz was a Spanish mystic and religious writer who gained recognition for her spiritual visions and writings on the life of Christ. Her works were widely read and discussed within religious circles of the time.
During the 17th century, Melanny de Bauffremont was a French courtier and lady-in-waiting to Queen Marie de' Medici. She was known for her involvement in the political intrigues and scandals of the French court during the reign of King Louis XIII.
In more recent history, Melanny Safka, born in 1950, is an American singer-songwriter best known for her hit song "Brand New Key" in the 1970s. She has had a successful career in music and has been recognized for her unique vocal style and songwriting abilities.
People
Melanny + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Melanny 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
Melanny: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Melanny?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 943 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Melanny 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 363,472 US residents.
Is Melanny a common name?
We classify Melanny as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 953 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Melanny most popular?
The single biggest year for Melanny was 2013, when 69 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Melanny is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Melanny a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Melanny 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.