GirlAncient Greek origin3 syllables
Melanie
Meaning: “black, dark”
About the name Melanie
Melanie is a girl name with Ancient Greek roots, meaning “black, dark”.
It has a classic feel. In 2025, Melanie ranked #142 for girls in the US, with 2,074 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 1972. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named Melanie were girls.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek, meaning “black, dark”.
Name meaning adapted from Wiktionary (“Melanie”) by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- US rank 2025
- #142
- In 2015
- #81
- Babies in 2025
- 2,074
Popularity of Melanie, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Nicknames for Melanie
Names similar to Melanie
- Madeline“woman from Magdala”
- Maggie“pearl”
- Margaret“Pearl”
- Melissa“bee, honey, or honeybee”
- Stephanie“crown, wreath”
- AndreaOrigin debated
- Angela“messenger, angel”
- Angie“messenger, angel”
- Cynthia“Cynthian (of or pertaining to Mount Cynthus, a mountain of Delos, celebrated as the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis)”
- ElenaOrigin debated
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.