Given name & surname
Melody
“a beautiful song”
Melody is used as a given name and a surname. One Greek interpretation is “a beautiful song.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Greek interpretation is “a beautiful song.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Greek.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1914. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Melody through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 115,084
- 170 boys · 114,914 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 3,095 babies
- 2025
- 3,095
- #79 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +19%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 3,095 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 79 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 18.7% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (457). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 86,671 as a first name in 2020; 848 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Melody’s family of names
In English usage, Melody has a diminutive in Mel. In English usage, Melody has a related form in Melodie. Melody has a related form in Melodie.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Melody has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
5 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 12
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Melodievariant · English
- Melodivariant
- Meldiminutive · English
- Melodeevariant
- Mellodylikely variant
- Mellodielikely variant
- Melodiavariant
- Melodeyvariant
Show 4 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Melody
- Melody ThorntonAmerican singerborn 1984
- Melody GardotAmerican jazz singerborn 1985
- Melody AndersonCanadian-American actressborn 1955
- MelodyJapanese-American fashion designer, television host, singerborn 1982
- Melody Thomas Scottactressborn 1956
- Melody KlaverDutch actressborn 1990
- Melody PerkinsAmerican actress, model and dancerborn 1974
- Melody BeattieAmerican writer (1948–2025)
- Melody Nurramdhani LaksaniIndonesian singerborn 1992
Characters named Melody: River Song (the British TV series ''Doctor Who'').
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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If you love Melody, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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