Melena

A girl's name of Greek origin with 1,245 recorded U.S. births.

Girl's name#7811 in 2024Rising fast

Meaning & Origin

A surname.

Melena is a girl's baby name of Greek origin, a variant of Elena or Melanie — the former from Greek meaning 'bright, shining one,' the latter from Greek melas (dark). Melena occupies the interesting middle ground between these two name families, feeling simultaneously luminous and deep. It may also derive from the Spanish form of Magdalene.

Elegant and European, Melena has the warm Mediterranean quality of names that sound equally beautiful in Spanish, Italian, and Greek — a name that belongs to the entire southern European world.

EtymologyShow more

Phonetically, Melena belongs to a cluster of names characterized by their open, warm ending — a soft ending that crosses many language boundaries. At three syllables, it has a three-beat flow that carries a sense of formality and completeness.

Within the Greek naming tradition, names with similar sound structures often share underlying etymological patterns. Exploring Greek names on this site may surface connections that illuminate Melena’s linguistic neighborhood.

At a Glance

#7811

Current Rank

1,245

Total births

Since 1957

2001

Peak year

52 births

Compare Melena with another name

Popularity Over Time

Melena was #4064 twenty years ago and has since drifted to #7811, but its charm endures.

First appeared: 1957Peak: 2001 (52 births)Current: #7811

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Melena
Decade	Births	Avg Rank	Trend
2020s	54	#9785	▼
2010s	147	#8316	▼
2000s	374	#4031	▲
1990s	235	#4752	▲
1980s	124	#6224	▼
1970s	223	#3273	▲
1960s	82	#4458	▲
1950s	6	#5854	—

The Story of Melena

A Gen Z name

Peaking in 2001, Melena is a name that defines a generation. Girls named Melena are most likely born between 1991 and 2011.

How rare is Melena?

Only about 1 in every 257,143 babies born in 2024 was named Melena — a truly uncommon choice.

The journey through the decades

First appeared in the records in 1957, grew steadily over the decades, peaked in the 2000s with 374 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.

Melena by the numbers

Would fill 26 school buses
Meeting one Melena per day would take 3.4 years

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(63 years, 1957–2024)

Year-by-year popularity data for the name Melena
Year	Births	Rank	Change
2024	14	#7811	+5 (55.6%)
2023	9	#10870	-1 (-10.0%)
2022	10	#10155	-3 (-23.1%)
2021	13	#8317	+5 (62.5%)
2020	8	#11774	-3 (-27.3%)
2019	11	#9530	-1 (-8.3%)
2018	12	#8981	0
2017	12	#9158	-2 (-14.3%)
2016	14	#8261	+1 (7.7%)
2015	13	#8775	-3 (-18.8%)
2014	16	#7535	0
2013	16	#7630	-6 (-27.3%)
2012	22	#6049	+1 (4.8%)
2011	21	#6274	+11 (110.0%)
2010	10	#10969	-13 (-56.5%)
2009	23	#6026	-8 (-25.8%)
2008	31	#4838	-9 (-22.5%)
2007	40	#3960	+2 (5.3%)
2006	38	#3969	+2 (5.6%)
2005	36	#4008	+1 (2.9%)

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Melena a boy's or girl's name?

Melena is primarily a girl's name.

When was Melena most popular?

Melena reached its peak popularity in 2001 with 52 births that year. It is currently ranked #7811 in the U.S.

How popular is the name Melena?

Melena is currently ranked #7811 in the U.S. (2024). It has been given to 1,245 babies since 1957.

Explore More

By Length6-letter names By OriginGreek names By EndingNames in -a TrendingRising names RankingsFull rankings

Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1957–2024