Melody

Girl · Greek, through English

Melody

Say it: MEL-uh-dee

Try it with your surname

Meaning

From the English word melody, from Greek melodia 'singing'.

Certainscholars agree on this meaning.

A word name used in the US since the 1940s.

Its wave through time

Popular now

In the United States

101,500 babies given this name since 1914
At its height in 2020, about 1 in 640 girls
2,498 babies in 2020

Through the ages

The Modern Age1880 to today

Used by

American English

The family of the name

Other spellings: Melodie

French	Mélodie

Names worth a look

HattieGirlPet form of Harriet.Victorian · peak 1887

ToniGirlA feminine pet form of Antonia, from the Roman family name Antonius, whose origin is unknown.Modern · peak 1960

KatrinaGirlA form of Katherine, from Greek Aikaterinē, whose origin is unknown; the link to Greek katharos 'pure' is a later…Victorian · peak 1980

BrandiGirlA spelling of Brandy, from the English word brandy (from Dutch brandewijn 'burnt wine').Modern · peak 1981

KayGirlA short form of Katherine and other names beginning with K; the Arthurian knight Sir Kay is a separate name from…Modern · peak 1939

WhitneyGirlFrom an English surname and place name, Old English (æt þǣm) hwītan ēge 'at the white island'.Modern · peak 1986

MildredGirlFrom Old English Mildthryth, from mild 'gentle' and thryth 'strength'.Viking & Saxon · peak 1909

MiltonBoyEnglish surname from a place name, 'mill town' or 'middle town'.Victorian · peak 1912

Where this comes from

United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source

Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.

Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.