Given name & surname
Melrose
“bare, barren”
Melrose is a surname from Scottish Gaelic.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Melrose goes back to Scottish Gaelic maol, meaning “bare, barren.”
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1902. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Melrose through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,231
- 51 boys · 1,180 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 50 babies
- 2025
- 38
- #3,880 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +20%
- Rising
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 38 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 3,880 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 19.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 748 as a first name in 2020; 1,240 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.
Melrose’s family of names
Melrose may belong to the same name family as MELLROSE. This is a tentative spelling connection.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Melrose, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Maise
“an adorned beauty”
>99% girls
Monroe
“woman from the river” · “from the mouth of the river Roe”
20% boys · 80% girls
Mave
“one who brings joy to others”
>99% girls
Maisie
“pearl”
>99% girls
Rooney
“a red-haired man”
25% boys · 75% girls
Orla
“the golden queen”
>99% girls
Meara
“one who is filled with happiness” · “filled with joy”
>99% girls
Roslin
“a little red-haired boy”
>99% girls