Melania: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#1,172

among girls · ↑412 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

198

named Melania · +49% vs 2024

How common

1 in 8,118

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2017

283 babies

All-time total

3,573

#3,210 all-time among girls

First recorded

1913

in Social Security records

Melania popularity over time

3,573 babies have been named Melania since 1913, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	59	6	–	#2,472
1920s	60	6	+2%	#3,294
1930s	11	1	-82%	#4,107
1940s	6	1	-45%	#4,192
1950s	34	3	+467%	#3,856
1960s	88	9	+159%	#3,876
1970s	119	12	+35%	#4,018
1980s	134	13	+13%	#3,938
1990s	151	15	+13%	#4,993
2000s	571	57	+278%	#1,628
2010s	1,405	141	+146%	#934
2020s (to 2025)	935	156	+11%	#1,172

Where Melania is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	189	0.12	outside top 500
2027	182	0.11	outside top 500
2028	176	0.11	outside top 500
2029	171	0.11	outside top 500
2030	167	0.10	outside top 500

Where Melania is most popular

Girls named Melania per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.092 per 1,000. Strongest in Illinois, New Jersey, and New York.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Melania born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Girls 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
Illinois	61	0.266	+191%
New Jersey	43	0.238	+160%
New York	87	0.220	+140%
Florida	75	0.175	+91%
Pennsylvania	36	0.152	+66%
Washington	19	0.132	+44%
California	106	0.126	+38%
Oregon	5	0.077	-16%
Texas	59	0.073	-20%
Michigan	13	0.071	-22%
Arizona	7	0.050	-46%
Massachusetts	6	0.050	-46%
Ohio	11	0.046	-49%
Tennessee	6	0.038	-59%
Virginia	5	0.029	-68%
Georgia	6	0.026	-71%
North Carolina	6	0.026	-71%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Colorado	–	–	–
Connecticut	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Indiana	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Maryland	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Minnesota	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Wisconsin	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Melania

Melania is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #1,172 in 2025 with 198 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1913, 3,573 American babies have been named Melania. Its peak came in 2017, when 283 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Melania stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Melania?

The median living Melania is about 9 years old; half are between 5 and 18. An estimated 3,400 people named Melania are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Melania year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	198	#1,172
2024	133	#1,584
2023	113	#1,799
2022	145	#1,501
2021	154	#1,414
2020	192	#1,198
2019	210	#1,148
2018	233	#1,084
2017	283	#934
2016	131	#1,653
2015	92	#2,111
2014	78	#2,365
2013	97	#2,010
2012	100	#1,967
2011	99	#1,996
2010	82	#2,334
2009	72	#2,588
2008	80	#2,409
2007	79	#2,415
2006	128	#1,659
2005	124	#1,628
2004	30	#4,574
2003	9	#11,006
2002	14	#7,695
2001	19	#5,994
2000	16	#6,698
1995	12	#7,367
1990	19	#4,993
1985	21	#3,938
1980	18	#4,246
1975	14	#4,496
1970	10	#5,286
1965	10	#4,403
1960	6	#6,151
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	6	#4,192
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	6	#4,767
1915	9	#3,054
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Famous people named Melania

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Melania Trump First Lady of the United States (2017–2021; since 2025) b. 1970 · Contemporary
2 Melania the Younger Christian saint and ascetic 383–439 · Antiquity

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Melania, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Melania?

The median living Melania is about 9 years old. Half of all living Melanias are between 5 and 18 years old.

How many people named Melania are alive today?

An estimated 3,400 people named Melania are alive in the United States, based on 3,573 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Melania mean?

Melania is a feminine given name of Latin origin that derives from the Greek word melaina, the feminine form of the adjective melas meaning "black" or "dark".

How popular is the name Melania in 2025?

Melania ranked #1,172 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 198 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Melania?

3,573 babies have been named Melania in the United States since 1913, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Melania most popular?

Melania peaked in 2017, when 283 newborns received the name.

Is Melania a boy or girl name?

Melania is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Melania rising or falling?

Melania is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Melania become more popular?

Melania is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 167 girls named Melania in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Melania?

Well-known people named Melania include Melania Trump (companion), Melania the Younger (religious figure).

Names like Melania

Names that sound and feel close to Melania: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Melania with similar names → More names starting with M →