Melaney
Melaney was not among the names given to 5 or more girls in 2025. Its best year was 1972, when it ranked 2202nd; the most babies were born in 2007 (38). More babies were named Melaney in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Melanie) dark, black · Greek
- Rank in 2025
- Not rankedgirls
- Babies in 2025
- 0girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 200738 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,259babies recorded
What does the name Melaney mean?
Melaney is a spelling of Melanie, pronounced the same way, so it shares Melanie's meaning and origin.
Melanie comes from French Mélanie and Latin Melania, from Greek melania, 'blackness', from melas, 'black, dark'. DMNES lists two early saints named Melania, a grandmother and granddaughter of the 4th and 5th centuries, and records Melanie in early modern England. Wikipedia notes that the Normans brought the French form, but that it became common in English only after the character Melanie Hamilton in Gone with the Wind (1936).
μελανία (Ancient Greek, “blackness”)μέλας (Ancient Greek, “black, dark”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Melania, Mélanie, Mel, Melany.
See also: Greek names, names that mean a color.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Melanie', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Melanie', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Melanie', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Melaney popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — |
| 2020 | #16,701 | 5 |
| 2010 | #5,061 | 28 |
| 2000 | #6,136 | 18 |
| 1990 | #6,028 | 15 |
| 1980 | #4,444 | 17 |
| 1970 | #3,273 | 20 |
| 1960 | #4,083 | 11 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Melaney, counting every spelling?
Melaney is a spelling of Melanie, a name family that ranked #101 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together. Together these spellings went to 3,146 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melanie | 2,074 | #142 | 10,809 |
| Melany | 779 | #399 | 2,827 |
| Melani | 234 | #1,056 | 1,164 |
| Melanny | 27 | #4,950 | 119 |
| Melannie | 18 | #6,473 | 113 |
| Melaney | — | — | 34 |
| Melanee | — | — | 33 |
| Melanni | — | — | 30 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How old are people named Melaney?
About 1,200 people born in the US named Melaney are alive today, with a median age of 34; half are between 19 and 52. That makes Melaney mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Melaney: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Melaney, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Melaney
What does Melaney mean?
Melaney is a spelling of Melanie, which means “dark, black” (Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Melaney?
Melaney was not among the names given to 5 or more girls in 2025. Its best year was 1972, when it ranked 2202nd; the most babies were born in 2007 (38). More babies were named Melaney in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Melaney a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Melaney in the US.