Melode
A name of unclear origin and meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 25 living Americans carry the first name Melode. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Melode today is around 72 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Melode births was 1946 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Melode. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Melode is about 72 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Melodes were born before 1964.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Melode. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
25
~ 1 in 13,710,174 Americans
Peak year
1946
6 babies that year
Average age
72
years old
1959 SSA rank
#6,895
Tracked since 1946
Popularity
Melode: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Melode from the 1940s through to the 1950s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 31 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Melode 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 Melode during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Melode
The name Melode originates from the ancient Greek language and culture, with roots dating back to the classical era around the 5th century BCE. It is derived from the Greek words "melos" meaning "song" or "melody," and "ode" signifying a lyrical verse or poem sung in tribute. This suggests that Melode may have initially referred to a person skilled in composing or performing melodic odes or lyrical poetry.
In ancient Greek mythology, the Muses were the nine goddesses who presided over the arts and sciences, including music, poetry, and dance. It is possible that the name Melode was associated with these divine patrons of the arts, particularly those linked to lyrical expression and melodic composition.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Melode can be found in the works of the renowned Greek playwright Euripides, who lived from around 480 BCE to 406 BCE. In his tragic play "Iphigenia in Aulis," a character named Melode is mentioned, though little is known about the significance of this name in the context of the play.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Melode, though its usage has been relatively rare. One of the earliest recorded was Melode of Crete, a Greek lyric poet who lived in the 7th century BCE and was renowned for his compositions in the Doric dialect.
In the 4th century BCE, there was a Greek musician and poet named Melode of Athens, who is believed to have composed lyrical works for various religious festivals and ceremonies.
During the Byzantine era, a scholar and theologian named Melode of Constantinople lived in the 12th century CE and is known for his commentaries on religious texts.
In the Renaissance period, a Italian composer and music theorist named Melode Bardi (1494-1555) gained recognition for his contributions to the development of early opera and the monodic style of vocal composition.
More recently, in the 19th century, there was a French sculptor named Melode Caillouette (1814-1888) who created several notable public monuments and sculptures in Paris.
While the name Melode has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, its Greek origins and associations with music, poetry, and the arts have endured, reflecting its deep-rooted connection to the cultural and artistic traditions of ancient Greece.
People
Melode + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Melode 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
Melode: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Melode?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 25 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Melode 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 13,710,174 US residents.
Is Melode a common name?
We classify Melode as "Very Rare". It ranks above 43.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 37 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Melode most popular?
The single biggest year for Melode was 1946, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Melode is about 72 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Melode a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Melode 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.