Melania Name Meaning, Origin & Popularity

Melania

4 syllables

♀ Female ◎ Italian / Polish / Roman / Spanish ◈ 4 syllables

"Black"

From Italian / Polish / Roman / Spanish

Melania means dark or black — from the Greek melas, the full Italianate form of Melanie. Saint Melania the Elder was one of the wealthiest women in Rome who gave everything to charity. The name carries Greek-darkness through maximum Italian flowing. Four syllables of the richest-to-poorest saint, Greek-dark beauty, and Italian-maximum elaboration.

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Melania at a glance

MeaningBlack

OriginItalian / Polish / Roman / Spanish

GenderFemale

Syllables4

NumerologyLife Path 1

US Rank (today)#1445

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Why parents love Melania

Saint Melania was one of Rome's richest — gave everything to charity.
Four syllables with a flowing, Italian sound: meh-LAH-nee-ah.
The meaning dark/black carries Greek-poetic depth.
The full Italianate form is maximum flowing.
Mel and Ania are both embedded.

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The vibe of Melania

darkblackGreekmelasSaint MelaniacharityRomeItalianrichest-to-poorestflowing

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Origin & history of Melania

Greek melas (dark/black) → Melanie → Italianate Melania

Italian / Polish / Roman / Spanish roots

Melania comes from the Greek melas meaning dark. Saint Melania the Elder was one of the wealthiest women in Rome who gave everything to charity. The full Italian form carries maximum flowing.

First recorded

Earliest known use: Saint Melania the Elder (c. 350–410 AD).

Today

Melania remains a beloved choice, ranking #1445 in the US. 3,372 babies have been named Melania since 1913.

◈ Sources: Behind the Name, Oxford Dictionary of First Names, SSA data

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How popular is Melania?

2017 peak year

Today, Melania is rarely chosen — ranked well outside the top 1,000 (around #1445), with only about 168 babies given the name per year. But it wasn't always this way. At its peak in 2017, 283 babies were given the name (ranked #934 nationally). Its strongest stretch was the 2010s. Melania's usage has held roughly steady recently. In all, around 3,372 babies have been registered as Melania since 1880.

Year-by-year registrations 1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data

283 Babies named in peak year
(ranked #934)

168 Avg. per year
(last decade)

1,680 Total registrations
last 10 years

3,372 All-time total
(since 1880)

Popularity in the US today (rank #1,445) Moderate

→ Holding steady in recent years

📊 Check all names registered in the United States →

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Numerology of Melania

Life path number

The Leader

Leadership, independence and pioneering spirit.

Melania's Life Path 9 is the humanitarian's number — richest-to-charitable humanitarianism. People named Melania tend to be dark, flowing, and gifted at giving everything away while remaining beautiful.

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Gives everything while beautiful

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Saint-richest-to-poorest

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Greek-dark

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Italian-flowing

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Maximum charity