Melody
Girl name · #79 in 2025 · Uniqueness 36/100
Melody is currently the #79 girl name in the United States — 3,095 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #148, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 582 girls born in 2025 was named Melody.
The 111-year story
Melody first appears in the Social Security records in 1914, when 7 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 3,095 babies and a rank of #79. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Melody per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Melody against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Melody in class?
Melody scores 36 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Melody is most common
Geography matters for names, and Melody is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Melodys were CA (457), TX (431), FL (222), NY (185), NC (110). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Melody
Statistically, parents drawn to Melody tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Daisy, Audrey, Lucia, Kennedy, and Georgia.
DaisyAudreyLuciaKennedyGeorgiaCeciliaEmeryJosie
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Melody | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,095 | #79 |
| 2024 | 2,783 | #91 |
| 2023 | 2,572 | #103 |
| 2022 | 2,573 | #109 |
| 2021 | 2,466 | #113 |
| 2020 | 2,524 | #106 |
| 2019 | 2,466 | #118 |
| 2018 | 2,155 | #135 |
| 2017 | 2,072 | #144 |
| 2016 | 2,148 | #144 |
| 2015 | 2,178 | #148 |
| 2014 | 2,065 | #157 |
| 2013 | 1,867 | #172 |
| 2012 | 1,791 | #172 |
| 2011 | 1,562 | #201 |
| 2010 | 1,575 | #197 |
| 2009 | 1,452 | #226 |
| 2008 | 1,220 | #280 |
| 2007 | 1,143 | #295 |
| 2006 | 1,107 | #299 |
| 2005 | 1,040 | #310 |
| 2004 | 1,018 | #311 |
| 2003 | 1,023 | #303 |
| 2002 | 1,045 | #297 |
| 2001 | 1,080 | #290 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Melody a popular girl name?
Melody ranked #79 among girls in 2025 with 3,095 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #148.
When was the name Melody most popular?
Melody peaked in 2025, when 3,095 American girls received the name (ranked #79 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Melody?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 582 newborn American girls was named Melody. It scores 36/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.