| Zoe | Melanie | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Life | black, dark |
| Origin | greek | greek |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | ZOH-ee | MEL-uh-nee |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1886 |
| Peak year | 2012 (6,466) | 1972 (6,296) |
| In 2025 | 5,646 | 2,074 |
| Trend | Steady | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Zoe | Melanie |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 31,129 | 13,337 |
| 2010s | 58,094 | 33,086 |
| 2000s | 48,755 | 35,228 |
| 1990s | 16,791 | 29,352 |
| 1980s | 1,999 | 35,952 |
| 1970s | 1,120 | 53,323 |
| 1960s | 952 | 36,751 |
| 1950s | 1,109 | 19,849 |
| 1940s | 569 | 5,029 |
| 1930s | 735 | 242 |
| 1920s | 694 | 183 |
| 1910s | 466 | 145 |
| 1900s | 239 | 79 |
| 1890s | 323 | 63 |
| 1880s | 281 | 21 |
From Greek 'zoe' (ζωή) meaning 'life'. Adopted by Hellenistic Jews and early Christians as a translation of Eve ('life').
From Greek 'melas / melania' meaning 'black, dark'. Borne by early Christian saints Melania the Elder and Melania the Younger.
Zoe is more popular than Melanie today: about 5,646 US babies were given the name Zoe in 2025, compared with 2,074 named Melanie.
Zoe means Life (greek origin), while Melanie means black, dark (greek origin).
In US records, Zoe first appears in 1880 and Melanie in 1886, so Zoe has the longer recorded history.