How popular is the baby name Melanie in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Melanie.
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Swiss tennis player Martina Hingis, born in 1980, was the top female tennis player in the world for 209 weeks (in the ’90s and ’00s).
And who is she named after?
Czech tennis player Martina Navratilova, born in 1956, who was the top female tennis player in the world for 332 weeks (in the ’70s and ’80s).
I found this little factoid in a 1994 Sports Illustrated article critical of Martina Hingis turning pro too young (at age 14):
Hingis’s mother, Melanie, a 37-year-old former top Czech player, was also in favor of the move [to turn pro], having groomed her daughter for a pro career ever since she named the child after countrywoman Navratilova. “We’ve worked 10 years for this,” Melanie said. “It’s a natural development.”
We already know that Gone with the Wind had an effect on the usage of Scarlett and Tara. But what other baby names did it influence?
The main character, Scarlett O’Hara, had sisters named Suellen (a contraction of “Susan Elinor”) and Carreen (“Caroline Irene”). She also had a a sister-in-law named Melanie Hamilton. All three of these names were given a double-boost by Gone with the Wind — first, after the release of the book in mid-1936, and, second, after the release of the film in late 1939.
Suellen
Here’s the U.S. usage of the name Suellen. (In the movie, the character was played by actress Evelyn Keyes.)
1942: 144 baby girls named Suellen
1941: 159 baby girls named Suellen [peak]
1940: 141 baby girls named Suellen
1939: 40 baby girls named Suellen
1938: 31 baby girls named Suellen
1937: 30 baby girls named Suellen
1936: 5 baby girls named Suellen [debut]
1935: unlisted
1934: unlisted
The name saw peak usage in 1941 — also the year that variant form Sueellen debuted. After that, usage petered out.
Carreen
Here’s the U.S. usage of the name Carreen. (In the movie, the character was played by actress Ann Rutherford.)
1942: unlisted
1941: 8 baby girls named Carreen
1940: 6 baby girls named Carreen
1939: unlisted
1938: unlisted
1937: 8 baby girls named Carreen [debut]
1936: unlisted
1935: unlisted
1934: unlisted
The name Carreen appeared in the data a few more times in the ’60s and ’70s, but that’s it. Interestingly, the variant form Careen, which debuted in 1936, has seen more usage in the U.S. overall.
Melanie
Here’s the U.S. usage of the name Melanie from the mid-’30s to the early ’40s. (In the movie, the character was played by actress Olivia de Havilland.)
1942: 388 baby girls named Melanie
1941: 308 baby girls named Melanie
1940: 200 baby girls named Melanie
1939: 57 baby girls named Melanie
1938: 53 baby girls named Melanie
1937: 39 baby girls named Melanie
1936: 13 baby girls named Melanie
1935: 9 baby girls named Melanie
1934: 9 baby girls named Melanie
The name Melanie is quite old — it comes from an ancient Greek word meaning “black” or “dark” — but its usage was revived by Gone with the Wind. It went on to crack the top 100 for the first time in 1968 and has been popular ever since. It ranked 82nd in 2010.
Looking for a set of baby names with something in common? If so, here are some 7-letter anagram names for you to check out!
Anagrams are words that contain the same set of letters, but not in the same sequence. For instance, the words “observe,” “obverse,” and “verbose” are all anagrams of one another.
Anagram names can be a neat option for siblings — particularly multiples (like twins and triplets). They’re also a clever way to connect a baby name to the name of an older relative (e.g., grandpa Stanley, granddaughter Eastlyn).
Below are hundreds of seven-letter names (collected from the SSA’s huge database of U.S. baby names) that happen to be anagrams of other names.
Northumberland man Ian Clark, taking the advice of his four-year-old step-daughter Maddy (and ignoring the wishes of his partner Melanie Robinson) named his newborn daughter “Meggie Maisie Lady Gaga.”
Here’s how Ian explained it:
When I asked the children what we should call the new baby, Maddy said we should call her Lady Gaga. I just thought it was a great name and I’m sure the bairn will find it funny when she’s older.
Here’s what Melanie had to say:
I can’t believe he actually went ahead and did it. Ian thought it was a really good idea but I told him no way. […] I’m still in shock now.
UPDATE, 2012: Ian and Melanie have since a baby boy, who may end up being named Tommy Will.i.am, middle name after will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas. Melanie said, “I’m trying to convince him not to, but he’s done it once so I’m sure he will do it again.”
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