Total births
262,640
Girls' name · since 1886
Melanie
Since 1886, U.S. Social Security records show 262,640 babies named Melanie, peaking in 1972. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #122
- among girls today
- 262,640
- born since 1886
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 99.3%
- more common than other girls
262,640 babies have been named Melanie since 1886, making it today's #122 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Melanie recorded 262,640 times among girls since 1886, holding rank #122 nationally today, ahead of 99.3% of girls, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1886 to 2025.
- #122 among girls today
- 262,640 born since 1886
- 1970s peak decade
- 99.3% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Melanie is currently the #122 girls' name in America, more common than 99.3% of girls - 262,640 born since 1886, peaking in the 1970s.
- #122
- among girls today
- 262,640
- born since 1886
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 99.3%
- more common than other girls
Melanie vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#122
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99.3% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Melanie was born in this single decade.
1972
Single peak year
6,296 babies were named Melanie in 1972 - its busiest year on record.
How Melanie compares
262,640 Top 1% higher than 99% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Melanie's all-time total is 688x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Melanie | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 262,640 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 6,296 | 48 | 19,840 |
Melanie's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Melanie's SSA record in two at 1958 and the more recent half accounts for 92% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 8%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1893, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1972 peak of 6,296, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Melanie at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1972
Current rank
#122
Active since
1886
Melanie popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1886–2025
- Peak year (1972)
- 6,296
- Annual births at peak, across 140 years of records
Melanie popularity over time - boys
614 total births recorded since 1956 (Melanie as boys' name)
Melanie by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Melanie's strongest decade.
53,323 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Melanie births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 21
1880s
21 births
- 1890s 63
1890s
63 births
- 1900s 79
1900s
79 births
- 1910s 145
1910s
145 births
- 1920s 183
1920s
183 births
- 1930s 242
1930s
242 births
- 1940s 5,029
1940s
5,029 births
- 1950s 19,849
1950s
19,849 births
- 1960s
1960s
36,751 births
- 1970s
1970s
53,323 births
- 1980s
1980s
35,952 births
- 1990s
1990s
29,352 births
- 2000s
2000s
35,228 births
- 2010s
2010s
33,086 births
- 2020s 13,337
2020s
13,337 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 53,323 births (20% of all-time use).
How Melanie compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Melanie's total volume
Melanie vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Melanie by state
Where Melanie concentrates geographically, total births since 1886
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 36,860 | 14.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 25,951 | 9.9% |
| #3 | New York | | 18,325 | 7.0% |
| #4 | Florida | | 12,570 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 11,276 | 4.3% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 11,276 | 4.3% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 10,438 | 4.0% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 7,901 | 3.0% |
California share of Melanie's total US births 14.0%
Even split
36,860 of 262,640 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Melanie appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Melanie? ▼
262,640 babies have been named Melanie since 1886. It currently ranks #122 among girls. The peak year was 1972 with 6,296 births.
When was Melanie most popular? ▼
Melanie was most popular in the 1970s decade with 53,323 total births. The single peak year was 1972.
Where is Melanie most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Melanie are California (36,860 births), Texas (25,951 births), New York (18,325 births).
How long has the name Melanie been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Melanie since 1886 -- 140 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Melanie? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Melissa, Melinda, Melody, Melba, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Melanie's data
- Melanie's decade-level peak was the 1970s (53,323 total births); usage has since declined to 13,337 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Melanies (36,860 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Melanie
Nearby Names Like Melanie
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Melanie
Melissa Girl
#379 760,128 births
Melinda Girl
#2099 135,822 births
Melody Girl
#91 114,914 births
Melba Girl
#11152 34,873 births
Melina Girl
#630 19,926 births
Compare Melanie side by side: Melanie vs Melissa Melanie vs Melinda Melanie vs Melody
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Melanie
Amara #121
28,982 births · Peak 2025
Cecilia #123
111,511 births · Peak 2025
Eva #120
284,761 births · Peak 1918
Ashley #124
859,857 births · Peak 1987
Margaret #119
1,264,774 births · Peak 1921
Rylee #125
69,010 births · Peak 2010
Eliza #118
70,569 births · Peak 2021
Samantha #126
592,847 births · Peak 1990
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1886–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Melanie: #122 Girls' Name - 262,640 Births, Peak 1972." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/melanie. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Melanie draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.