Fun Facts About the Name Melody
- Gaining ground: Melody remained in the U.S. top 100 for 2 consecutive years, from 2024 through 2025. In 2025, it gained 12 ranking positions compared with the previous year.
- More than 115 thousand babies named Melody: U.S. records list 115,053 babies given the name Melody from 1880 through 2025. Even 170 boys received the name Melody - about 1 boy for every 676 girls.
What Does the Name Melody Mean?
Melody is an English given name taken from the English word melody, meaning "a tune" or "song." The word goes back through Old French melodie and Late Latin melodia to Greek melōidia, meaning "singing" or "chanting." Greek melōidia is formed from melos, "song" or "strain," and ōidē, "song" (related to aeidein, "to sing"). The literal sense is therefore "song" or "singing." As a personal name it is a word name, not a translation of a separate ancient personal name. Associations with harmony or musical talent are later symbolic extensions, not the etymology itself.
Melody Name History & Origins
The English word melody appears in Middle English as melodie, borrowed from Old French melodie, which came from Late Latin melodia, from Greek melōidia. In Greek, melōidia could mean "singing," "chanting," or "lyric poetry." The word entered English with the general sense of sweet music or a tune.
The given name Melody is a modern use of that common noun. It belongs to the broad class of English word names, in which an ordinary vocabulary word is used as a personal name. It does not come from a saint, a biblical figure, or a medieval royal line, and it is usually feminine in English. Literary and musical works have used Melody as a character name or title, but those uses are later than the word and do not account for its origin.
How Popular is the Name Melody?
Melody recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Melody entered the top 100 U.S. girl names in 2024.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #79 | 3,095 | 0.1926% |
| 2024 | #91 | 2,771 | 0.1718% |
| 2023 | #102 | 2,569 | 0.1603% |
| 2022 | #109 | 2,572 | 0.1569% |
| 2021 | #113 | 2,466 | 0.1504% |
| 2020 | #106 | 2,522 | 0.1561% |
| 2019 | #118 | 2,461 | 0.1467% |
| 2018 | #136 | 2,154 | 0.1267% |
| 2017 | #144 | 2,071 | 0.1200% |
| 2016 | #144 | 2,147 | 0.1212% |
| 2015 | #148 | 2,178 | 0.1220% |
| 2014 | #158 | 2,065 | 0.1156% |
| 2013 | #172 | 1,866 | 0.1064% |
| 2012 | #172 | 1,790 | 0.1017% |
| 2011 | #201 | 1,561 | 0.0888% |
| 2010 | #198 | 1,575 | 0.0886% |
| 2009 | #226 | 1,451 | 0.0790% |
| 2008 | #280 | 1,220 | 0.0645% |
| 2007 | #296 | 1,143 | 0.0595% |
| 2006 | #299 | 1,107 | 0.0582% |
| 2005 | #311 | 1,040 | 0.0563% |
| 2004 | #312 | 1,018 | 0.0554% |
| 2003 | #303 | 1,023 | 0.0560% |
| 2002 | #297 | 1,045 | 0.0582% |
| 2001 | #290 | 1,080 | 0.0600% |
| 2000 | #398 | 720 | 0.0396% |
| 1999 | #436 | 627 | 0.0353% |
| 1998 | #390 | 708 | 0.0401% |
| 1997 | #370 | 736 | 0.0423% |
| 1996 | #399 | 664 | 0.0379% |
| 1995 | #369 | 708 | 0.0403% |
| 1994 | #358 | 730 | 0.0409% |
| 1993 | #353 | 731 | 0.0404% |
| 1992 | #308 | 906 | 0.0491% |
| 1991 | #319 | 850 | 0.0453% |
| 1990 | #315 | 867 | 0.0457% |
| 1989 | #296 | 881 | 0.0478% |
| 1988 | #283 | 884 | 0.0496% |
| 1987 | #270 | 906 | 0.0521% |
| 1986 | #269 | 935 | 0.0545% |
| 1985 | #259 | 967 | 0.0562% |
| 1984 | #234 | 1,088 | 0.0646% |
| 1983 | #225 | 1,107 | 0.0663% |
| 1982 | #229 | 1,115 | 0.0658% |
| 1981 | #223 | 1,175 | 0.0704% |
| 1980 | #199 | 1,317 | 0.0793% |
| 1979 | #197 | 1,365 | 0.0850% |
| 1978 | #195 | 1,330 | 0.0868% |
| 1977 | #196 | 1,371 | 0.0894% |
| 1976 | #199 | 1,215 | 0.0829% |
| 1975 | #206 | 1,198 | 0.0822% |
| 1974 | #211 | 1,198 | 0.0816% |
| 1973 | #224 | 1,124 | 0.0771% |
| 1972 | #242 | 1,122 | 0.0738% |
| 1971 | #244 | 1,203 | 0.0723% |
| 1970 | #262 | 1,176 | 0.0673% |
| 1969 | #239 | 1,245 | 0.0738% |
| 1968 | #230 | 1,282 | 0.0782% |
| 1967 | #204 | 1,529 | 0.0926% |
| 1966 | #192 | 1,707 | 0.1009% |
| 1965 | #199 | 1,664 | 0.0943% |
| 1964 | #192 | 1,897 | 0.1001% |
| 1963 | #182 | 2,093 | 0.1086% |
| 1962 | #185 | 2,024 | 0.1029% |
| 1961 | #172 | 2,272 | 0.1126% |
| 1960 | #153 | 2,756 | 0.1363% |
| 1959 | #185 | 1,952 | 0.0965% |
| 1958 | #194 | 1,742 | 0.0866% |
| 1957 | #182 | 1,990 | 0.0973% |
| 1956 | #155 | 2,389 | 0.1190% |
| 1955 | #186 | 1,801 | 0.0921% |
| 1954 | #199 | 1,546 | 0.0796% |
| 1953 | #222 | 1,296 | 0.0689% |
| 1952 | #232 | 1,131 | 0.0610% |
| 1951 | #260 | 887 | 0.0493% |
| 1950 | #273 | 791 | 0.0462% |
| 1949 | #282 | 740 | 0.0433% |
| 1948 | #281 | 739 | 0.0435% |
| 1947 | #279 | 759 | 0.0428% |
| 1946 | #322 | 538 | 0.0342% |
| 1945 | #405 | 307 | 0.0235% |
| 1944 | #512 | 200 | 0.0151% |
| 1943 | #538 | 195 | 0.0140% |
| 1942 | #523 | 202 | 0.0150% |
| 1941 | #1,027 | 51 | 0.0042% |
| 1940 | #1,540 | 26 | 0.0023% |
| 1939 | #1,667 | 22 | 0.0020% |
| 1938 | #1,403 | 29 | 0.0026% |
| 1937 | #1,894 | 18 | 0.0017% |
| 1936 | #1,852 | 18 | 0.0017% |
| 1935 | #2,179 | 15 | 0.0014% |
| 1934 | #2,061 | 16 | 0.0015% |
| 1933 | #2,364 | 13 | 0.0013% |
| 1932 | #2,776 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1931 | #2,913 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1930 | #2,084 | 17 | 0.0015% |
| 1929 | #3,071 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1926 | #3,452 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1925 | #4,780 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1924 | #4,307 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1922 | #5,530 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1920 | #5,501 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1914 | #3,077 | 7 | 0.0009% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | #11,672 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #5,447 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #6,665 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #5,167 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #4,834 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #4,772 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1982 | #7,013 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1981 | #4,386 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1980 | #6,915 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #6,714 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #6,443 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1976 | #4,272 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1974 | #4,465 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1973 | #4,351 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1972 | #5,492 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1970 | #4,559 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1969 | #3,243 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1966 | #4,326 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1965 | #2,916 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1964 | #4,426 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #3,526 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #3,274 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1960 | #4,412 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1958 | #2,751 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1957 | #4,349 | 5 | 0.0002% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Melody
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
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How the Name Melody Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Melody's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Melody's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.