Discover and Shortlist Your Perfect Baby Names!

Mel as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Mel

♡Add to my Name List

The baby name Mel is a Unisex name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /mɛl/ (MEL).

Gender: Unisex
Syllables: 1.0
Pronunciation: /mɛl/ (MEL)

What is the meaning of the name Mel ?

The baby name Mel is a Unisex name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /mɛl/ (MEL).

Mel is in Origin.

Mel is a compact, unisex name used widely in English and beyond, most often as a hypocoristic of names beginning with Mel-. For girls it shortens Greek-derived Melanie (from melas, “dark, black”), Melissa (from melissa, “bee,” related to meli, “honey”), and Melinda. For boys it trims Melvin and Melville (from the Norman-French surname), and can stand for Melchor/Melchior, a Hebrew-based name meaning “king of light.” In Portuguese, Mel literally means “honey” (from Latin mel) and is also used as an independent given name.

In English-speaking records the standalone Mel appears from the late 19th century, peaking for men mid-20th century, while as a nickname it tracks the waves of Melanie, Melissa, and Melinda in the later 20th century. Related forms and variants include Mélanie, Mélissa, Melina, Melinda, Melody, Melvin/Melvyn, Melville, Melchor/Melchior, and the pet forms Mell and Melly.

Mel has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Mel

Manuel Zelaya Politician · Born 1952 · Honduras Mel Zelaya, born José Manuel Zelaya Rosales, is best known as the 35th president of Honduras, serving from 2006 until he was ousted in the 2009 coup d'état. A Honduran politician, he later became the country's first gentleman from 2022 to 2026, and he inherited the nickname “Mel” from his father. Melle Mel Musician · Born 1962 · United States Melle Mel is a pioneering musician from the United States, best known as a key figure in the development of hip-hop music. He gained fame as the lead rapper and lyricist for Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, with hits like 'The Message' and 'White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)'. Born in 1962, he played a crucial role in bringing socially conscious themes to the genre.

Mel – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2012 #1 — 777
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 — 874
FJ Girls 0 #9 1 583
BN 0 #29 4 2,297
MT 0 #41 3 1,767
MO 0 #52 1 2,706
PR 0 #55 1 1,497
CM 0 #56 1 2,592
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
LU 0 #61 6 2,830
PH 0 #63 34 5,607
AO 0 #75 3 2,729
JP 0 #76 2 4,057
QA 0 #84 17 7,011
CN 0 #86 1 3,857
BN Girls 0 #88 19 5,459
JM 0 #90 4 3,714
ID Girls 0 #101 2 3,319
TW 0 #101 3 4,523
OM 0 #113 9 6,215
KW 0 #117 5 5,216
CY Girls 0 #121 5 3,755
EE Boys 0 #125 1 2,087
Switzerland Girls 2024 #130 6 1,786
CY Boys 0 #130 2 3,473
BN Boys 0 #132 8 6,332
GR 0 #132 4 3,911
MU 0 #132 6 3,613
PA 0 #134 5 3,797
CR 0 #140 19 5,526
MT Girls 0 #145 9 3,773
BW Girls 0 #146 6 4,216
BW Boys 0 #152 3 4,685
AE 0 #157 21 10,220
AR 0 #158 29 2,915
PR Girls 0 #164 4 3,171
LU Girls 0 #166 20 4,850
UY 0 #167 11 2,477
PR Boys 0 #173 6 2,508
HU Boys 0 #174 1 3,954
MT Boys 0 #174 6 4,064
SI Girls 0 #175 3 2,769
HR 0 #177 5 2,081
AO Girls 0 #188 22 4,575
Austria 0 #189 25 850
Sweden Boys 2010 #189 2 1,344
MU Girls 0 #200 156 8,539
SG 0 #201 69 11,010
DK 0 #202 5 5,198
AL Girls 0 #206 17 4,141
PH Boys 0 #207 195 11,440
MO Boys 0 #211 13 5,842
SI Boys 0 #211 1 3,402
NA Girls 0 #213 12 7,146
BG Girls 0 #214 10 3,559
PH Girls 0 #214 189 13,098
JM Girls 0 #216 44 7,507
LU Boys 0 #216 5 4,970
MO Girls 0 #216 36 7,056
PS 0 #222 5 5,692
HU Girls 0 #223 3 3,308
JP Girls 0 #223 23 6,592
EC Girls 0 #226 14 3,650
PT 0 #230 17 4,161
Germany Girls 0 #233 1,395 4,949
BD 0 #240 2 5,992
GH 0 #245 4 5,396
GR Girls 0 #246 4 6,293
AO Boys 0 #247 3 5,568
TW Boys 0 #248 9 7,111
NA Boys 0 #252 2 6,830
Germany 0 #254 203 2,542
HR Boys 0 #257 3 3,997
QA Girls 0 #258 59 15,378
SA 0 #258 38 10,560
TW Girls 0 #261 16 8,139
GR Boys 0 #268 6 6,912
PE 0 #269 42 6,350
MY 0 #270 61 12,352
NG 0 #272 1 5,926
IL 0 #276 7 6,291
Canada Girls 2024 #280 6 2,795
AL Boys 0 #287 12 5,122
HR Girls 0 #291 4 3,687
JM Boys 0 #291 3 6,876
KZ Boys 0 #294 3 6,578
GT 0 #300 15 5,948
JP Boys 0 #301 3 7,909
Austria Girls 0 #302 122 1,885
CZ Boys 0 #304 2 6,530
BR 0 #310 36 5,969
UY Girls 0 #312 237 6,731
AR Girls 0 #321 373 8,289
SG Girls 0 #322 285 18,916
DK Girls 0 #325 5 7,429
CN Boys 0 #326 6 9,639
GH Girls 0 #330 8 6,973
CZ Girls 0 #331 11 5,378
DK Boys 0 #331 2 7,401
KZ Girls 0 #331 2 5,862
HK 0 #332 17 8,483
JO Girls 0 #334 6 7,570
PL Girls 0 #336 19 5,096
MU Boys 0 #337 21 8,477
PT Girls 0 #346 109 7,952
OM Girls 0 #348 49 15,987
BO 0 #353 29 6,868
CN Girls 0 #353 7 8,829
MX 0 #355 59 8,339
SD Girls 0 #357 2 7,678
GH Boys 0 #358 4 8,138
NL 0 #361 31 2,481
PT Boys 0 #374 8 7,951
CM Girls 0 #378 168 11,671
France Boys 2021 #383 5 2,865
UY Boys 0 #389 11 5,922
ZA 0 #389 59 14,421
BO Girls 0 #390 241 9,488
CL 0 #391 21 6,867
YE 0 #396 3 8,639
Spain 0 #398 55 2,326
France Girls 2021 #400 6 3,185
BR Girls 0 #404 878 12,708
EG 0 #408 5 6,387
KW Girls 0 #413 103 19,177
CR Girls 0 #417 116 11,342
PA Girls 0 #424 58 9,861
AE Girls 0 #431 123 20,968
CR Boys 0 #440 48 10,188
GT Boys 0 #444 31 7,625
PA Boys 0 #447 35 9,305
AR Boys 0 #454 14 7,628
SD Boys 0 #459 8 10,523
HK Girls 0 #462 154 16,104
GT Girls 0 #464 42 7,500
CO 0 #468 13 7,768
RU Girls 0 #475 24 11,913
RU Boys 0 #488 18 12,621
BH 0 #496 58 17,937
HK Boys 0 #496 32 12,905
PS Girls 0 #504 20 10,981
IR Girls 0 #506 25 8,334
MY Girls 0 #509 568 24,821
IQ Girls 0 #518 8 11,303
CM Boys 0 #522 29 12,054
PE Girls 0 #545 496 14,861
LY 0 #552 8 12,703
PS Boys 0 #554 8 10,655
IR Boys 0 #562 4 10,162
BO Boys 0 #574 19 9,244
SG Boys 0 #584 114 17,960
IL Boys 0 #590 18 10,983
IL Girls 0 #590 28 11,648
CL Boys 0 #633 33 13,390
Spain Girls 0 #634 377 5,561
QA Boys 0 #644 64 18,093
LB 0 #646 13 13,263
IT 0 #648 67 4,183
IN Girls 0 #652 3 13,121
IQ Boys 0 #695 3 13,071
BR Boys 0 #704 48 12,213
NL Girls 0 #705 256 5,933
SA Girls 0 #707 229 25,931
CL Girls 0 #709 143 14,098
ZA Girls 0 #715 487 25,928
MX Boys 0 #724 263 16,355
MX Girls 0 #730 551 17,781
KW Boys 0 #733 37 18,755
TN 0 #747 83 13,765
MY Boys 0 #753 378 25,439
SY 0 #761 7 11,684
NG Girls 0 #767 20 15,093
NL Boys 0 #777 175 5,873
PE Boys 0 #788 91 14,506
Spain Boys 0 #830 101 5,610
DZ 0 #840 346 20,130
OM Boys 0 #850 32 17,948
EG Boys 0 #856 31 15,035
CO Boys 0 #868 53 15,656
United States Boys 2024 #884 9 7,044
Germany Boys 0 #890 63 5,697
United States Girls 2024 #900 17 8,487
NG Boys 0 #927 25 16,906
EG Girls 0 #937 23 14,742
CO Girls 0 #943 136 16,140
AE Boys 0 #1,001 92 22,615
ZA Boys 0 #1,005 174 25,619
MA 0 #1,014 115 20,986
IN Boys 0 #1,034 6 16,750
TR 0 #1,060 152 19,440
IT Girls 0 #1,092 363 9,415
SA Boys 0 #1,254 363 28,008
IT Boys 0 #1,326 146 10,046

Mel is popular in 82 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Ireland
United States
Switzerland
Ireland

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Mel

Mel is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Mel is a one syllable name, pronounced /mɛl/ (MEL).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Mell, Melly, Mels and Mel..
Yes, very popular — Mel ranked #1 in Ireland in 2012, and appears in official birth registries across 6 countries.
Mel ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2012).
Yes — 2 notable people named Mel are in our database, including Manuel Zelaya (Politician), Melle Mel (Musician).