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Melania as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Melania

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The baby name Melania is a Female name , 4 syllables long and is pronounced /məˈleɪniə/ (muh-LAY-nee-uh); Italian/Spanish: /meˈlaːnja/ (meh-LAH-nyah).

Melania is Greek in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 4.0
Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: /məˈleɪniə/ (muh-LAY-nee-uh); Italian/Spanish: /meˈlaːnja/ (meh-LAH-nyah)

What is the meaning of the name Melania ?

The baby name Melania is a Female name , 4 syllables long and is pronounced /məˈleɪniə/ (muh-LAY-nee-uh); Italian/Spanish: /meˈlaːnja/ (meh-LAH-nyah).

Melania is Greek in Origin.

Melania derives from Greek Melanía (Μελανία), a feminine form built on mélas/melaina, “black, dark.” Latinized as Melania in early Christian texts, it entered the saints’ calendars through two renowned Roman ascetics: Melania the Elder (4th c.) and Melania the Younger (5th c.), which secured its continuity in Greek- and Slavic-speaking Orthodox communities. In Western Europe the French Mélanie/English Melanie became dominant from the 18th–19th centuries, leaving Melania itself more typical in Italy, Spain, Poland, Romania, and Portuguese-speaking regions.

Variants and related forms include Mélanie/Melanie, Italian/Spanish/Polish/Romanian Melania, Portuguese Melânia, Slovak/Hungarian Melánia, Russian/Ukrainian Melaniya/Melaniia. Common short forms are Mel, Lani, Nia, and Lia. The meaning “dark” likely began as a descriptive epithet and later carried ascetic overtones in Christian usage. Modern bearers have renewed its visibility internationally, giving Melania a classical yet cosmopolitan profile.

Melania has the following similar or variant Names

Melania – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2024 #1 — 911
FJ Girls 0 #9 1 583
HN 0 #22 1 704
HN Girls 0 #38 1 884
ID 0 #39 1 2,238
MT 0 #42 2 1,767
AL 0 #75 2 2,372
AO 0 #77 1 2,729
MD Girls 0 #91 2 865
ID Girls 0 #100 3 3,319
GE Girls 0 #106 3 1,564
PH 0 #110 1 5,607
EC 0 #121 1 2,502
CY Girls 0 #122 4 3,755
Switzerland Girls 2024 #133 3 1,786
GR 0 #135 1 3,911
PA 0 #136 3 3,797
RS Girls 0 #137 1 1,651
CR 0 #138 21 5,526
EE Girls 0 #141 2 1,888
BW Girls 0 #148 4 4,216
MT Girls 0 #148 6 3,773
PR Girls 0 #166 2 3,171
SI Girls 0 #176 2 2,769
Sweden Girls 2022 #177 3 1,568
HR 0 #180 2 2,081
UY 0 #181 2 2,477
AE 0 #187 1 10,220
LU Girls 0 #189 2 4,850
IT Girls 0 #190 12,293 9,415
AR 0 #192 2 2,915
NA Girls 0 #196 29 7,146
PL 0 #202 11 2,600
AO Girls 0 #213 5 4,575
HU Girls 0 #218 8 3,308
EC Girls 0 #219 21 3,650
PL Girls 0 #222 158 5,096
BG Girls 0 #229 3 3,559
CR Girls 0 #241 378 11,342
GR Girls 0 #241 9 6,293
PT 0 #249 2 4,161
NA Boys 0 #253 1 6,830
MO Girls 0 #261 3 7,056
Canada Girls 2024 #273 13 2,795
HR Girls 0 #280 10 3,687
SG 0 #282 1 11,010
IT 0 #286 788 4,183
TW Girls 0 #287 3 8,139
PE 0 #301 10 6,350
AL Boys 0 #303 1 5,122
DK Girls 0 #327 3 7,429
KZ Girls 0 #332 1 5,862
GT 0 #338 1 5,948
JO Girls 0 #338 2 7,570
PL Boys 0 #339 2 6,459
QA Girls 0 #342 2 15,378
CZ Girls 0 #349 3 5,378
MY 0 #353 2 12,352
PA Girls 0 #354 132 9,861
SD Girls 0 #356 3 7,678
MU Girls 0 #357 6 8,539
BR 0 #359 2 5,969
CN Girls 0 #359 1 8,829
BO 0 #361 21 6,868
BO Girls 0 #378 256 9,488
PH Girls 0 #379 12 13,098
Spain Girls 0 #384 978 5,561
France Girls 2021 #399 7 3,185
Austria Girls 0 #404 17 1,885
BD Girls 0 #406 1 8,413
Spain 0 #413 40 2,326
OM Girls 0 #419 6 15,987
CL 0 #426 9 6,867
MX 0 #438 8 8,339
PT Girls 0 #441 11 7,952
PE Girls 0 #467 670 14,861
ZA 0 #473 2 14,421
UY Girls 0 #475 36 6,731
RU Girls 0 #485 14 11,913
GT Girls 0 #491 15 7,500
GT Boys 0 #499 1 7,625
CO 0 #502 9 7,768
CR Boys 0 #504 7 10,188
IR Girls 0 #521 10 8,334
AR Girls 0 #527 73 8,289
AE Girls 0 #543 11 20,968
PS Girls 0 #543 5 10,981
KW Girls 0 #554 8 19,177
CM Girls 0 #558 3 11,671
CL Girls 0 #585 279 14,098
BH 0 #586 2 17,937
BO Boys 0 #618 5 9,244
SG Girls 0 #627 6 18,916
IL Girls 0 #638 8 11,648
HK Girls 0 #647 4 16,104
IN Girls 0 #654 1 13,121
LB 0 #688 3 13,263
IQ Boys 0 #697 1 13,071
CL Boys 0 #698 3 13,390
Finland Girls 2026 #729 10 3,895
SY 0 #766 2 11,684
BR Girls 0 #772 171 12,708
Germany Girls 0 #779 60 4,949
United States Girls 2024 #787 130 8,487
KW Boys 0 #805 2 18,755
CO Girls 0 #817 270 16,140
NG Girls 0 #826 1 15,093
TN 0 #864 2 13,765
PE Boys 0 #866 13 14,506
OM Boys 0 #917 2 17,948
EG Boys 0 #923 3 15,035
EG Girls 0 #923 37 14,742
SA Girls 0 #923 13 25,931
NL Girls 0 #926 30 5,933
MY Girls 0 #969 26 24,821
CO Boys 0 #979 3 15,656
MX Girls 0 #1,025 159 17,781
MX Boys 0 #1,031 3 16,355
ZA Girls 0 #1,097 45 25,928
TR 0 #1,198 14 19,440
MA 0 #1,199 1 20,986
DZ 0 #1,232 3 20,130
ZA Boys 0 #1,272 1 25,619
IT Boys 0 #1,366 106 10,046

Melania is popular in 81 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
Switzerland
Canada
France
Ireland

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People also ask about Melania

Melania is predominantly a girl's name.
Melania is a 4 syllable name, pronounced /məˈleɪniə/ (muh-LAY-nee-uh); Italian/Spanish: /meˈlaːnja/ (meh-LAH-nyah).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Melanie, Mélanie, Melânia, Melaniya, Melanya and Melaine.
Across languages, Melania has these equivalents: Melanie (English/French), Melantha (Greek, 'dark flower'), Nigella (Latin-derived, 'black'), Kali (Sanskrit, 'the black one'), Donn (Irish, 'brown/dark').
Yes, very popular — Melania ranked #1 in Ireland in 2024, and appears in official birth registries across 8 countries.
Melania ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2024).
Melania's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #855 in 2014 to #787 in 2024 in United States.