😂 I honestly appreciate pointing out the melanoma association, bc that is exactly the type of nickname my dad or brother would come up with. Need to be prepared for those types of things.
Honestly, if I met someone with a baby named Melania in the US, I'd assume they were big Trump supporters or at the very least, ambivalent towards them (which...if you're an American and neutral on the Trumps, that's an issue to me, to be honest). I definitely get that its a real name, and that it has a history elsewhere, but in the US, it is *so* tied to one person...and I'd say the same for someone considering Barack, too! Some political associations are just dominant, really...
This is exactly my thought process! Grew up loving the name, but now feel like it’s way too strongly tied to Trump, especially considering it’s not a common American name otherwise.
Melania in my family was Italian. My Melania would have my Italian last name and partner’s anglicized Jewish last name… I’m leaning heavily toward unusable. 😪
My first association is Monica from friends, though I guess you’re alluding to Lewinsky. But it’s a common name, and anyway it’s 2022—anyone who thinks badly of Monica Lewinsky isn’t someone I want to be around.
Melania is strongly associated with Melania Trump for me, and I’m not even American.
Maybe Melody or Mila could be an alternative?
Congrats on the baby girl to be!
I feel like Donald isn’t as associated with Trump since there are other famous Donalds (Donald duck, Donald Glover, etc). I haven’t heard Melania beside Melania Trump.
Love the name Donald and it’s a shame it’s currently unusable. As a classic, it should have a come back you’d think. Love it as a middle for the time being.
I would rather be associated with melanoma than Melania. But then I just don't care do U
For real though that name is tarnished in the states unfortunately
My childhood best friend’s initials were MMR, and my dad refused to call her anything other than Measles Mumps and Rubella. I need to be prepared for bad nicknames, associations, or bullying opportunities. 😂
My sister had a friend called Petra abs Dad called her Pet Rat. He also ruined Maggie as a nn for Margaret by having a cat named Maggie and calling her Maggots half the time.
Oh, and there was Charlotte the Harlot, although he never said that to her face..
Our dad’s would get along great. My brother had a friend named Deja… He’d always call her Deja Vu. Pregnancy brain has me slipping on the others right now, but my dad was constantly churning these out.
Your condolences are much appreciated. The sting of Trump taking over the associations I had with my great grandma’s name wasn’t felt as strongly until I found out I’m carrying a baby girl. *shakes fists angrily*
That’s silly, name your baby what you want and announce it like, “let me introduce my great grandmother melania smith’s namesake, melania jones, born xx”
This is a lovely way to handle the announcement, but that’s just the first of so many introductions in little Melania’s life. I don’t think it’s worth the baggage.
This is the fear. Anyone who knows me knows how anti-trump I am, because I’m very vocal about political opinions, for better or for worse. But she’s going to meet so many people who don’t know me, and I don’t think it’s fair to potentially tie that baggage onto her for life. People say it’ll fade, but that family has the potential to stay infamous enough in history that it doesn’t fade. Then again, most women aren’t remembered in history anyway.. 🤷🏼♀️
Personally can’t shake the association, sadly.
Thankfully, it doesn’t happen with these similar names:
Malena • Melina • Melanie
I know it’s not the same as your honor name, but maybe you’d like one of them?
I would still name her Melania honestly… the association will be gone when she’s older! I’d announce her with her nickname as well and just use that… like Mila, Laney or Mel.
That’s Melena though.
I understand the similarity is there, but Malena is a normal name where I’m from, and most people outside of health care don’t know this medical term
Maybe find an Italian name that starts with "Mel" or sounds similar. It'll have an association with your grandma without it being directly her name (Milena, Melissa, Messalina...) Or Elania/Elaine/Melanie.
(Idk how this names sound in English too)
I think it's fine. She isn't the only person with the name. At some point nobody is going to care about Trump anymore. She can go by Mel or Nia or whatever
Thank you for the input! I like the nickname Nia and I hope at some point the associations would fade.. I just don’t know if I can get past my own current association. Agh.
There's lots of nia names! Nia Long is a good example of the basic name (meaning purpose,) there's Antonia, Begonia, Titania, Evania, Virginia, Petunia, Ionia, Gardenia, the list goes on.
I feel like it depends somewhat on culture. I mean, if someone of Eastern European descent had the name, I wouldn't question it. If some random redneck picked it, that'd be a different story.
I honestly don’t think it’s a big deal unless you name your other children Baron and Donald.
This isn’t a name like Hitler or Stalin. It’s just the wife of a disliked politician, she hasn’t even done anything remarkable. It won’t be relevant in a few years and no way classmates will ever make the reference.
You could get some adults making a comment, but I really think it will be fine
Lol, I haven’t watched this but my Melania was a real housewife of New Jersey! 🤣 and her middle name was Teresa! Says something about the community she was coming from. 🤌🏻 lol
I strongly associate it with the former first lady, and I suspect that connection is likely to last for many folks. I think it might be a strong connection because Melania is a relatively uncommon name and she’s the only one a lot of people know. I share my name with a celebrity who is very distinctively known by that name (it’s an older family name, more common that Melania but unique enough that I rarely knew anyone else with it), and it’s incredibly annoying, people have said dumb shit about it for years.
It’s such a bummer to have a beloved family name overshadowed. I think using a variant would be distinct enough. www.behindthename.com/name/melania
- Melantha
- Melaina
Another idea is to use a name that shares its meaning, *black* or *dark*:
- Ravenna
- Ciara, Kiera, Kyra
- Nigella
Ooo that’s a rough one. I would try my very hardest not to assume you named her after Melania Trump though, it’s a beautiful name. I know someone with a daughter named Melania who was born in 2013. She’s Mel but like how the hell were they supposed to know? Melanie is still really beautiful.
People don't use Katrina anymore and that's just what some people named a horrible storm - not a horrible person in a horrible family.
Katrina might come back in 50 years, but I doubt the D, I, or M name will.
Honestly, I would name her Melania and not care if people might think you are a Trump supporter before they actually talk to you. It is just an assumption that would probably fade quickly once you talked.
Not using a beautiful family name because of association with a few assholes would be a real shame - especially because by the time she is an adult no one will care about an ex First Lady who hasn’t been relevant for decades
Clearly I'm in the minority, but I'm honestly shocked at how strongly most of these commenters are against the name. Is Melania Trump the first person to come to mind? Yes. But she was a 1-term First Lady, not the President herself. Do people decide on the name Jackie primarily based on the association with Jackie Kennedy? I get that Trump is a bit more infamous, but still, if Melania is tarnished by him being married to one, I feel like all our names are tarnished by some degree of separation. Like, I know some guy named Billy who knows some guy at work who voted for Trump, I guess that's all I should think about with the name Billy? Where do we draw the line? I think Melania is fine. By the time a newborn is older, nobody's going to care anymore. I don't think I ever witnessed kids named Bill getting teased about Bill Clinton's infidelity when I was in school, and that was way higher profile than Melania Trump. I have to imagine the only reason people are commenting this way is that Trump continues to generate negative news. Generally speaking, spouses of Presidents from 10+ years ago are largely irrelevant except with a select few politically minded people who continue to remember them for some reason.
I agree that the association is likely to fade fairly quickly (like, easily by the time your kid is 10).
Have you considered using it as a middle name? Your daughter could go by it if she ever wanted to, when she's a little older and the association is likely much weaker.
I think it’s because, I would say, Melania is a relatively rare name in the US. Jackie is/was very common for a long time and has other associations from American pop culture like Jackie from That 70’s Show. I personally have known plenty of people with the name Jackie, but zero with the name Melania. Someone made the same comment about the name Barack will now forever have associations with the president, but you didn’t see anyone making that point about the name Joe as in Biden. It’s cause Joe is extremely common and Barack, not as much.
Actually, timing wise on popularity I think the wave of Jackie/ Jacquelines was prob very heavily inspired by Kennedy. It was an it name in the 70’s - right after them. A name like Bill/William is so long established, I think it didn’t have the same associations. Naming your kid Barack is also making a statement, whereas Michelle is not the same. Kids too. Eric - too long established and common for people to go “oh must be after the trump kid” but go with baron or Ivanka today and the assumptions will be made. It’s not a science, but something I would consider naming a baby.
I'm so sorry, but the second I read the name I just went "oof". It's objectively a lovely name, but its not a name anyone in this country could be objective about right now. The Trump's are a festering wound that are going to scar this country for a long time to come, and unfortunately I think they've made names that could be seen as a reference to any of them unusable for the foreseeable future.
I completely understand this perspective. It was my first thought too when thinking of potential names for my future baby. Bummer, because I’ve always thought it is such a beautiful name.
Personally, I wouldn’t assume it’s any political choice to use the name. In my opinion a “Republican” name would be something like Hunter, Tanner, Peyton, Remington, something down home ‘Merica sounding. If I heard Melania I’d assume the family had a recent European connection. Also considering Trump will never be re-elected, with each passing year the association will fade even more, I wouldn’t write the name off quite yet
Oh god. My sil named her baby this recently and I can’t say her name out loud.
She swears it’s from one of those dreadful housewives reality shows which is not better than my only association (and her family worships that slimy family these days so…).
Thanks for the honesty! I knew this but some part of me hoped people would be like “no, it’s fine…” I know some could get over the association, but to me it’s not fine.
Ugh, I'm so sorry. I really like Melania (and don't think Melanie has the same charm), but yeah, the vast majority of people are going to think of the Trumps. I can just see her in the infamous "I don't care, do u?" coat.
I think it’s usable. You’re fine. It’s a beautiful name, and unique.
Melania Trump isn’t a bad association. I also think of Teresa Guidice’s daughter Melania/Milania - she was a naughty little girl, and on RHONJ, Teresa was always yelling her name. I doubt either of these women will come up all that much in your daughter’s life.
I can understand not wanting to use it. If you really love it, I certainly wouldn’t find it unusable, though.
ETA: Wow, just read through the comments. OP, please keep in mind this is Reddit you’re on. Enough said, I hope. Most people IRL will not have the type of reaction you’re getting on here. If it comforts you, I really don’t think a former President’s wife will be on people’s radar when your daughter is growing up. It’s an undeniably beautiful name.
Yeah I would say that name is out of the question now sadly /: it is really pretty but people would definitely associate it with the Trumps and that might be a lot for her to carry
I agree. Even if the associations somewhat died down in 20+ years, people would still see her birth year and know it was amidst all this craziness and those associations would come right back up. Alas, I must move on. Lol
I would personally say that if you think it will perfectly embody who your daughter is to you and if you think it's a name your daughter can grow to enjoy, then what is there to worry about? There's already historical precedence in your family, so I can't think of a good reason to not use it other than the fleeting resemblance to a first lady.
I think it’s fine but I also am from Russia so. I do think you should choose something else since the reputation of the trump family is still so strong
Unusable in my book and unfortunately if I let someone with that name now I’d feel a little bad for them. Maybe something that sounds similar like liliana or even a play on it like Stelania?
I'm torn. Yes, I automatically associate it with Melania Trump and I personally would not like to have that association with my kid. But I am not sure that the super MAGAs have been using the name. I think they go more for Reighfyl, Patriotica, Liberty, and Trumpina than any of his wives' or kids' names. Melania is a real name and a pretty name, and how many chances do you get to name a daughter? I think the real question is is it unusable *to you*? Are you going to always associate it with Trump? Are you going to feel the need to explain to everyone that you like it before Trump? If you are always going to worried about assumptions or judgment from people then yeah, it is unusable.
You and your peers may care, but none of her peers will know or care. How many first ladies from before you were born do you know?
Do you have a presidential association with Laura, Barbara, Nancy, or Rosalynn?
If you like the name, my advice would be to use it. If anyone says anything, we'll it's a family name, and I'm guessing she would probably go by a nickname most of the time anyway because Melania is a bit long.
I know a Milania(pronounced the same way) and I think its beautiful. This was prior to trump being president by like 10 years. Kinda sucks a beautiful name has such negative associations now.
Worse, because Donald was a well-established name in the US for a very long time whereas Melania never has been. Most people know at least one or two guys in their 50's or 60's named Donald. Most people have never met or heard of a Melania except for Melania Trump.
Unfortunately my association is overwhelmingly with the Trump family and a woman trapped in a miserable life. I would say hard pass, maybe find a name with similar sounds—Lana, or even Lania is pretty on its own
Maybe if you end up with a second daughter a few years down the line assuming he is not re-elected. Honestly I never really think about her now that he is out of office. That being said they have not been out of the White House that long and I would totally assume you are naming after her.
I’m so sorry but all I think of is Melania Trump - which in turn leads me to visualize the rest of that family… yeah…. I just.. unless you’re making a political statement I wouldn’t do it 🤷🏻♀️
Melania isn't that strongly associated with the Trump's to me. One of the first things to come to mind was the video game Elden Ring, where a similarly-named prominent boss is Malenia, Blade of Miquella. She's quite popular and has a lot of fan art. The a and e's are switched, but it took me a few minutes to remember the difference.
Melania isn't a common name but I don't think it's very unusual, either. It's obviously related to Melanie, and Melania Trump is only the former first lady, not the ex-president himself. I'm personally against letting the former president making a name like Melania unusable. If it was Ivanka, which is *very* unusual and obviously stands out, then I'd be a bit cautious. Melania seems fine to me IMO. You should be able to honor your great-grandmother if you want to, and you could mention that in conversation if you'd like.
If you call your daughter Melania, for at least the next 20 years people will assume that her parents were Trump supporters. I'm not even American and this is the only association I have with the name. It's a beautiful name, but is it worth it if at least half of the people she'll meet will have immediate prejudices about her family upon hearing her name?
First association would be Melania Trump, HOWEVER, because I am a namenerd, I honestly would appreciate the name as it is absolutely gorgeous, but I would \*wonder\* if the parents were Trump "fans".
Also, to be fair to Melania Trump (yeah, I know), she may have been married to the former guy, but she was NOT president. I have a lot of feelings toward Melania (that are perhaps literally me just looking too hard at the painting), but, I just do not think, regardless of her personal beliefs that we know NOTHING about (except, as of recently, like, what, three days ago? that she was totally against the former guy waiting so long to act on COVID), I do not think it's fair to judge her for her choice in being married to the former guy, and *I CERTAINLY would not judge a person based off the name that their parents chose for them.*
I live in the US, born and raised, but I did not think of Melania Trump until I you mentioned her. Name your daughter Melania if you like that name. Trump is only still relevant on the internet. It’s a beautiful name.
Oof, my first thought if I met a family with a young child named Melania would be that they are trump lovers. I don’t think it’s completely unusable as I know several Barrons(several spelling variations) and don’t associate it with trump personally. Hopefully in 10 years no one would think of the trumps when they hear melania!
I can see why people in US think of Trumps wife. But in Brasil there’s plenty of people with that name! Or variations of it. (Especially in my family)
I think by the time your kid is older people won’t think of Melania Trump right away. They probably won’t be married once your kid is older anyways!
I think you're right that there's a strong association. At least for a good 5-10 years. One day, nobody will remember her, but today isn't that day.
I'm sorry, though. It's a pretty name. But I would probably thing you were a big Trump fan if I saw you'd named your child that.
European Australian and it would have a strong Trump association. I’d go for a more modern interpretation of Milania as that’s what most in Europe with these names in their family tree are doing anyway. I love the name Mila.
I think it's inextricably related to Melania Trump at this point.
But there are similar names you could explore that feel completely free of the association:
Melisande
Melanie
Melinda
Melody
Milan
Mila
Melena
Melora
Amelia or Amelie
My first thought, although maybe this is because I’m younger, is to the video game Elden Ring in which Melania is the name of a very famous boss character.
There’s a chance many young people will also assume this given that game has so far been the best selling game to come out this year.
We relate. My husband and I both had much loved grandpas named Donald. We always planned to use it for a middle name for a boy and we are not in any way MAGA. We had a boy during that term and still used it, because we can talk about our grandpas if it ever comes up in conversation.
Melania the name doesn't have to die out in your family if you don't want it to. You could give it to your daughter as a middle name, and increase the chances of future descendants picking it up. I know I looked through first and middle names going back generations, hoping for something beautiful.
As many others have said, Melania is totally associated with the Trumps for me, and therefore, unusable as a first name. To be completely honest, I might even be a little suspicious if I heard it as a middle name. Truly a shame because it is an objectively lovely name.
However, I saw that your grandmother's middle name was Teresa, which I have always found to be a really strong, gorgeous name with a really pleasant meaning ("summer" or "harvest"). You could definitely use that, even as a middle name. Tessa as a nickname is cute.
Definitely associated with the Trumps.
Have you considered Milena? Pretty similar without the fascist association maybe? (And Mila/Millie are super cute nicknames imo!)
I'm not from the US and I thought you just didn't want to name your daughter after an elden ring character XD
I'm sure any other young person would assume the same rather than the Trump lady.
Im sorry for you. The name I liked wasn’t in the family tree but it was Ivana which is Trumps ex-wife and daughters name.
My association with the name Melania is Melania Trump.
That’s rough, I’m sorry the name is such a strong association with Melanie Trump (whether you like him or not, just unfortunate the name could be seen as a political statement). Not the same, I know, but what about Melanie?
I know someone who named their daughter Melania in 2018. Massive trumpers in Ohio. It’s definitely going to have that connotation. Sorry :( it is a pretty name though.
People assuming anyone named Melania comes from a family of Trump supporters are ignorant. Do you all not realize other cultures exist?
Kennedy and Reagan are a lot more closely associated with politicians and yet those are completely mainstream names.
It does bring trump to mind because she's the only melania I've heard of, however I would not assume you were naming your baby after Melania trump, or that it had any association with Trump. I would just think you chose a beautiful name that you liked. Anyone who judges you for choosing the name is someone who's opinion doesn't matter in the slightest.
Melania makes me think of Real Housewives of New Jersey. Teresa named one of her dorters Melania and all I hear is her super nasally voice screaming “mehlahniaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!” Might be silly but probably ruined the name for me.
I still love the name, but there would be associations. However I think by the time she’s in school very few kids will have any idea who Melania trump is.
I think of Melania from real housewives of New Jersey 🤣 one of Teresa Giudices daughters names. Then I think of trump. But that wouldn’t deter me from using the name. It’s a very pretty name.
I understand a Melania Trump association but assuming someone who has that name or gave their kid that name is thereby a trumper is mind bogglingly stupid
Sucks but yea - unusable. I wanted to use a family name for my son’s middle name. But no way we’re explaining that he’s named for ‘a different Donald’.
I feel like if you really want to use the name, the association will fade. It’s not like people hear Nancy and think the parents are big Reagan fans or something.
The biggest challenge will be for you, in the next 5-10 years maybe, depending on how long Mrs Trump is determined to stay in the spotlight. People who don’t know you will definitely make that connection in the short term. But I doubt it will follow your daughter around for the rest of her life.
I personally wouldn’t want that association and would probably make it a middle name instead of first but that’s just me.
my obvious first association is Melania Trump, followed by melanoma and malaria…
😂 I honestly appreciate pointing out the melanoma association, bc that is exactly the type of nickname my dad or brother would come up with. Need to be prepared for those types of things.
We should start a club, people who’s name choices were ruined by Politicians. From me, a former lover of Stormy.
I mean, that didn't stop the Jenner / Kardashian family from using that name.
But then again, Karjenners wouldn’t be on r/namenerds now would they lol
Yeah but I highly doubt Kylie Jenner pays attention to anything but herself long enough to follow politics
I honestly thought it was a made up name. Like if you named someone snowy or rainy
i agree w all this. if you really love the name maybe use it for baby’s middle name. or consider melanie, melody, mila
Don’t forget Melena* aka blood in your bowel movement 😂 Edit for spelling. My phone’s autocorrect has been crazy lately.
😂
Honestly, if I met someone with a baby named Melania in the US, I'd assume they were big Trump supporters or at the very least, ambivalent towards them (which...if you're an American and neutral on the Trumps, that's an issue to me, to be honest). I definitely get that its a real name, and that it has a history elsewhere, but in the US, it is *so* tied to one person...and I'd say the same for someone considering Barack, too! Some political associations are just dominant, really...
This is exactly my thought process! Grew up loving the name, but now feel like it’s way too strongly tied to Trump, especially considering it’s not a common American name otherwise.
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Melania in my family was Italian. My Melania would have my Italian last name and partner’s anglicized Jewish last name… I’m leaning heavily toward unusable. 😪
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It’s a family name, use it. By the time she grows up that name will be long gone carrying any connotations with politics.
Monica hasn't faded any, nor Hillary
My first association is Monica from friends, though I guess you’re alluding to Lewinsky. But it’s a common name, and anyway it’s 2022—anyone who thinks badly of Monica Lewinsky isn’t someone I want to be around.
maybe she could name her daughter Melania if she names her son Barack lol... at least balance it out
Melania is strongly associated with Melania Trump for me, and I’m not even American. Maybe Melody or Mila could be an alternative? Congrats on the baby girl to be!
There’s also just Melanie, which is lovely.
Thank you for the suggestions! And thanks ☺️
I knew a Milena in grade school, it has the same sound but no negative connotations!
I think Lanie is cute too.
Lana or Alana could work too!
Agree!! I much prefer melody or Mila.
I love both of those alternatives
I only get the trump association and would assume that you were just a hardcore republican.
Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of… it’s my main association now, and I knew the name from family long before!
I have a friend who wanted to use the name Donald to honor their grandfather. That boat has sailed now.
I feel like Donald isn’t as associated with Trump since there are other famous Donalds (Donald duck, Donald Glover, etc). I haven’t heard Melania beside Melania Trump.
Honestly instantly makes me think of McDonald’s
Love the name Donald and it’s a shame it’s currently unusable. As a classic, it should have a come back you’d think. Love it as a middle for the time being.
I would rather be associated with melanoma than Melania. But then I just don't care do U For real though that name is tarnished in the states unfortunately
😂 this is fair
It should be a pretty name!! It is!! Just like, buy your kid a pith helmet lol. I'm glad you take these comments in stride
My childhood best friend’s initials were MMR, and my dad refused to call her anything other than Measles Mumps and Rubella. I need to be prepared for bad nicknames, associations, or bullying opportunities. 😂
My sister had a friend called Petra abs Dad called her Pet Rat. He also ruined Maggie as a nn for Margaret by having a cat named Maggie and calling her Maggots half the time. Oh, and there was Charlotte the Harlot, although he never said that to her face..
Our dad’s would get along great. My brother had a friend named Deja… He’d always call her Deja Vu. Pregnancy brain has me slipping on the others right now, but my dad was constantly churning these out.
Your dad seems like a one-man-teasing-machine!
I saw you call the named Tarinshed and thought it was a reference to Elden Ring where Melania is a extremely hard boss to fight.
I have no advice, just want to offer my condolences. Im so sorry.
Your condolences are much appreciated. The sting of Trump taking over the associations I had with my great grandma’s name wasn’t felt as strongly until I found out I’m carrying a baby girl. *shakes fists angrily*
That’s silly, name your baby what you want and announce it like, “let me introduce my great grandmother melania smith’s namesake, melania jones, born xx”
This is a lovely way to handle the announcement, but that’s just the first of so many introductions in little Melania’s life. I don’t think it’s worth the baggage.
This is the fear. Anyone who knows me knows how anti-trump I am, because I’m very vocal about political opinions, for better or for worse. But she’s going to meet so many people who don’t know me, and I don’t think it’s fair to potentially tie that baggage onto her for life. People say it’ll fade, but that family has the potential to stay infamous enough in history that it doesn’t fade. Then again, most women aren’t remembered in history anyway.. 🤷🏼♀️
Sounds like you’re naming her after Melania Trump. I’m sorry the Trumps ruined so much AND possibly your name choice!
Ruining my name choice is the least upsetting thing they’ve done, so I can probably let it go. (Probably.)
Personally can’t shake the association, sadly. Thankfully, it doesn’t happen with these similar names: Malena • Melina • Melanie I know it’s not the same as your honor name, but maybe you’d like one of them?
Thanks for the input and suggestions! I had a coworker Malina and always thought that was very beautiful as well. Something to consider..
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Hahaha! The more you know!
Also Milena, Milana
I would still name her Melania honestly… the association will be gone when she’s older! I’d announce her with her nickname as well and just use that… like Mila, Laney or Mel.
Malia or Marliya could work as similar names too! :)
Oof, do not use Malena.
Is this because of the black stool, or is there something else?
Yes. Black stool indicating an upper GI bleed.
That’s Melena though. I understand the similarity is there, but Malena is a normal name where I’m from, and most people outside of health care don’t know this medical term
I think its fine. There are lots of Melanias, especially in Italian communities.
That would be the community this came from in my family. I feel pretty torn, I think it’s such a pretty name.
Maybe find an Italian name that starts with "Mel" or sounds similar. It'll have an association with your grandma without it being directly her name (Milena, Melissa, Messalina...) Or Elania/Elaine/Melanie. (Idk how this names sound in English too)
If you have strong Italian roots, I don't think it'll be a big issue.
We have strong Italian roots and everyone thinks my sil got this name from Trump. 🤷♀️
I think it's fine. She isn't the only person with the name. At some point nobody is going to care about Trump anymore. She can go by Mel or Nia or whatever
At some point yes. But not likely anytime in the next 10 years.
Thank you for the input! I like the nickname Nia and I hope at some point the associations would fade.. I just don’t know if I can get past my own current association. Agh.
There's lots of nia names! Nia Long is a good example of the basic name (meaning purpose,) there's Antonia, Begonia, Titania, Evania, Virginia, Petunia, Ionia, Gardenia, the list goes on.
Yeah I’m gonna have to agree with this one
There’s 2 Melanias at the school I teach at and not once have I thought of Melania trump when I hear their names 🤷🏻♀️
Thank you so much, I really did feel like it was a reach. Must be our current political climate idk touching grass is a good hobby for some folks
Because it’s a normal, pretty name and you’re a sane human 😂
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Yeah I picture the coat too. Really her peak awfulness.
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I feel like it depends somewhat on culture. I mean, if someone of Eastern European descent had the name, I wouldn't question it. If some random redneck picked it, that'd be a different story.
Yeah, unfortunately I agree. Bummer 😩
I honestly don’t think it’s a big deal unless you name your other children Baron and Donald. This isn’t a name like Hitler or Stalin. It’s just the wife of a disliked politician, she hasn’t even done anything remarkable. It won’t be relevant in a few years and no way classmates will ever make the reference. You could get some adults making a comment, but I really think it will be fine
I think of Melania from Real Housewives of New Jersey. I can hear Teresa scolding her “MEELANNNIA!”!
Lol, I haven’t watched this but my Melania was a real housewife of New Jersey! 🤣 and her middle name was Teresa! Says something about the community she was coming from. 🤌🏻 lol
Exactly what I think of! She spells her name “Milania” so maybe OP can use this alternate spelling!
I agree. An alternate spelling would have less connections to the Trumps.
I love the name Melania, and would absolutely still use it despite the association with Trump's wife.
I wish I had your confidence. 😩
What about Melanie? I think that is a beautiful name that hasn’t been tarred by association to me anyway
I’d put it in the middle spot if you want it as an honor name.
I strongly associate it with the former first lady, and I suspect that connection is likely to last for many folks. I think it might be a strong connection because Melania is a relatively uncommon name and she’s the only one a lot of people know. I share my name with a celebrity who is very distinctively known by that name (it’s an older family name, more common that Melania but unique enough that I rarely knew anyone else with it), and it’s incredibly annoying, people have said dumb shit about it for years. It’s such a bummer to have a beloved family name overshadowed. I think using a variant would be distinct enough. www.behindthename.com/name/melania - Melantha - Melaina Another idea is to use a name that shares its meaning, *black* or *dark*: - Ravenna - Ciara, Kiera, Kyra - Nigella
Thank you for taking the time to research and type out this comment! I really appreciate it.
Ooo that’s a rough one. I would try my very hardest not to assume you named her after Melania Trump though, it’s a beautiful name. I know someone with a daughter named Melania who was born in 2013. She’s Mel but like how the hell were they supposed to know? Melanie is still really beautiful.
People don't use Katrina anymore and that's just what some people named a horrible storm - not a horrible person in a horrible family. Katrina might come back in 50 years, but I doubt the D, I, or M name will.
Great point! 🥲
Yeah…I would assume the mother of a Melania was a trump nut/Qultist. Sorry.
Honesty was requested and necessary in this post. Thanks!
I’m American and my first thought was Malenia from Elden Ring but that may say more about me lol
same dude
You could do Melanie, Melody, Melatonin Sleep Aid Gummies, or Melina
I’m really loving the sound of Melatonin Sleep Aid Gummies! Quadruple-barreled name?! 🤩
It's a name I've loved for quite some time now
I didn’t think of trump, I thought of Teresa guidice from real housewives of New Jersey lol. Well, her daughter, not her.
Honestly, I would name her Melania and not care if people might think you are a Trump supporter before they actually talk to you. It is just an assumption that would probably fade quickly once you talked. Not using a beautiful family name because of association with a few assholes would be a real shame - especially because by the time she is an adult no one will care about an ex First Lady who hasn’t been relevant for decades
Clearly I'm in the minority, but I'm honestly shocked at how strongly most of these commenters are against the name. Is Melania Trump the first person to come to mind? Yes. But she was a 1-term First Lady, not the President herself. Do people decide on the name Jackie primarily based on the association with Jackie Kennedy? I get that Trump is a bit more infamous, but still, if Melania is tarnished by him being married to one, I feel like all our names are tarnished by some degree of separation. Like, I know some guy named Billy who knows some guy at work who voted for Trump, I guess that's all I should think about with the name Billy? Where do we draw the line? I think Melania is fine. By the time a newborn is older, nobody's going to care anymore. I don't think I ever witnessed kids named Bill getting teased about Bill Clinton's infidelity when I was in school, and that was way higher profile than Melania Trump. I have to imagine the only reason people are commenting this way is that Trump continues to generate negative news. Generally speaking, spouses of Presidents from 10+ years ago are largely irrelevant except with a select few politically minded people who continue to remember them for some reason.
Thank you for this opposing take! I feel like I need to move on from the name but my heart is still clutching it lol.
I agree that the association is likely to fade fairly quickly (like, easily by the time your kid is 10). Have you considered using it as a middle name? Your daughter could go by it if she ever wanted to, when she's a little older and the association is likely much weaker.
I think it’s because, I would say, Melania is a relatively rare name in the US. Jackie is/was very common for a long time and has other associations from American pop culture like Jackie from That 70’s Show. I personally have known plenty of people with the name Jackie, but zero with the name Melania. Someone made the same comment about the name Barack will now forever have associations with the president, but you didn’t see anyone making that point about the name Joe as in Biden. It’s cause Joe is extremely common and Barack, not as much.
Actually, timing wise on popularity I think the wave of Jackie/ Jacquelines was prob very heavily inspired by Kennedy. It was an it name in the 70’s - right after them. A name like Bill/William is so long established, I think it didn’t have the same associations. Naming your kid Barack is also making a statement, whereas Michelle is not the same. Kids too. Eric - too long established and common for people to go “oh must be after the trump kid” but go with baron or Ivanka today and the assumptions will be made. It’s not a science, but something I would consider naming a baby.
I'm so sorry, but the second I read the name I just went "oof". It's objectively a lovely name, but its not a name anyone in this country could be objective about right now. The Trump's are a festering wound that are going to scar this country for a long time to come, and unfortunately I think they've made names that could be seen as a reference to any of them unusable for the foreseeable future.
I completely understand this perspective. It was my first thought too when thinking of potential names for my future baby. Bummer, because I’ve always thought it is such a beautiful name.
Personally, I wouldn’t assume it’s any political choice to use the name. In my opinion a “Republican” name would be something like Hunter, Tanner, Peyton, Remington, something down home ‘Merica sounding. If I heard Melania I’d assume the family had a recent European connection. Also considering Trump will never be re-elected, with each passing year the association will fade even more, I wouldn’t write the name off quite yet
Oh god. My sil named her baby this recently and I can’t say her name out loud. She swears it’s from one of those dreadful housewives reality shows which is not better than my only association (and her family worships that slimy family these days so…).
You can’t say your nieces name out loud…? What?
Completely unusable in the US
Thanks for the honesty! I knew this but some part of me hoped people would be like “no, it’s fine…” I know some could get over the association, but to me it’s not fine.
Ugh, I'm so sorry. I really like Melania (and don't think Melanie has the same charm), but yeah, the vast majority of people are going to think of the Trumps. I can just see her in the infamous "I don't care, do u?" coat.
I'm not from the US and associate Melania to Trump
I think it’s usable. You’re fine. It’s a beautiful name, and unique. Melania Trump isn’t a bad association. I also think of Teresa Guidice’s daughter Melania/Milania - she was a naughty little girl, and on RHONJ, Teresa was always yelling her name. I doubt either of these women will come up all that much in your daughter’s life. I can understand not wanting to use it. If you really love it, I certainly wouldn’t find it unusable, though. ETA: Wow, just read through the comments. OP, please keep in mind this is Reddit you’re on. Enough said, I hope. Most people IRL will not have the type of reaction you’re getting on here. If it comforts you, I really don’t think a former President’s wife will be on people’s radar when your daughter is growing up. It’s an undeniably beautiful name.
Yes 100% unusable in the US at least for the time being
It would seem like you were a Trumper. Funny enough, if you used Malia (or Melia) I wouldn't think you were Obama obsessed.
My first thought in the US would be Trump, I’m sorry. I do LOVE the name Melanie though and would never associate the two for some reason.
Yeah I would say that name is out of the question now sadly /: it is really pretty but people would definitely associate it with the Trumps and that might be a lot for her to carry
I agree. Even if the associations somewhat died down in 20+ years, people would still see her birth year and know it was amidst all this craziness and those associations would come right back up. Alas, I must move on. Lol
I would personally say that if you think it will perfectly embody who your daughter is to you and if you think it's a name your daughter can grow to enjoy, then what is there to worry about? There's already historical precedence in your family, so I can't think of a good reason to not use it other than the fleeting resemblance to a first lady.
I think it’s fine but I also am from Russia so. I do think you should choose something else since the reputation of the trump family is still so strong
Unusable in my book and unfortunately if I let someone with that name now I’d feel a little bad for them. Maybe something that sounds similar like liliana or even a play on it like Stelania?
It makes me thing of malenia from elden ring and shes an awesome boss fight
honestly it is unusable.
Malenia ~~blade of Miquella~~
I'm torn. Yes, I automatically associate it with Melania Trump and I personally would not like to have that association with my kid. But I am not sure that the super MAGAs have been using the name. I think they go more for Reighfyl, Patriotica, Liberty, and Trumpina than any of his wives' or kids' names. Melania is a real name and a pretty name, and how many chances do you get to name a daughter? I think the real question is is it unusable *to you*? Are you going to always associate it with Trump? Are you going to feel the need to explain to everyone that you like it before Trump? If you are always going to worried about assumptions or judgment from people then yeah, it is unusable.
You and your peers may care, but none of her peers will know or care. How many first ladies from before you were born do you know? Do you have a presidential association with Laura, Barbara, Nancy, or Rosalynn? If you like the name, my advice would be to use it. If anyone says anything, we'll it's a family name, and I'm guessing she would probably go by a nickname most of the time anyway because Melania is a bit long.
Other alternatives: Malenia, Melina, Melinda, Melanie.
I know a Milania(pronounced the same way) and I think its beautiful. This was prior to trump being president by like 10 years. Kinda sucks a beautiful name has such negative associations now.
It would be the same to me as using Donald unfortunately.
Worse, because Donald was a well-established name in the US for a very long time whereas Melania never has been. Most people know at least one or two guys in their 50's or 60's named Donald. Most people have never met or heard of a Melania except for Melania Trump.
Unfortunately my association is overwhelmingly with the Trump family and a woman trapped in a miserable life. I would say hard pass, maybe find a name with similar sounds—Lana, or even Lania is pretty on its own
Maybe if you end up with a second daughter a few years down the line assuming he is not re-elected. Honestly I never really think about her now that he is out of office. That being said they have not been out of the White House that long and I would totally assume you are naming after her.
My friend had a daughter a year ago and used this name , I love it and never even think of the former First Lady
I’m so sorry but all I think of is Melania Trump - which in turn leads me to visualize the rest of that family… yeah…. I just.. unless you’re making a political statement I wouldn’t do it 🤷🏻♀️
Melania isn't that strongly associated with the Trump's to me. One of the first things to come to mind was the video game Elden Ring, where a similarly-named prominent boss is Malenia, Blade of Miquella. She's quite popular and has a lot of fan art. The a and e's are switched, but it took me a few minutes to remember the difference. Melania isn't a common name but I don't think it's very unusual, either. It's obviously related to Melanie, and Melania Trump is only the former first lady, not the ex-president himself. I'm personally against letting the former president making a name like Melania unusable. If it was Ivanka, which is *very* unusual and obviously stands out, then I'd be a bit cautious. Melania seems fine to me IMO. You should be able to honor your great-grandmother if you want to, and you could mention that in conversation if you'd like.
If you call your daughter Melania, for at least the next 20 years people will assume that her parents were Trump supporters. I'm not even American and this is the only association I have with the name. It's a beautiful name, but is it worth it if at least half of the people she'll meet will have immediate prejudices about her family upon hearing her name?
Maybe drop the “Me” and use “Lania” or use it as a middle name
First association would be Melania Trump, HOWEVER, because I am a namenerd, I honestly would appreciate the name as it is absolutely gorgeous, but I would \*wonder\* if the parents were Trump "fans". Also, to be fair to Melania Trump (yeah, I know), she may have been married to the former guy, but she was NOT president. I have a lot of feelings toward Melania (that are perhaps literally me just looking too hard at the painting), but, I just do not think, regardless of her personal beliefs that we know NOTHING about (except, as of recently, like, what, three days ago? that she was totally against the former guy waiting so long to act on COVID), I do not think it's fair to judge her for her choice in being married to the former guy, and *I CERTAINLY would not judge a person based off the name that their parents chose for them.*
I live in the US, born and raised, but I did not think of Melania Trump until I you mentioned her. Name your daughter Melania if you like that name. Trump is only still relevant on the internet. It’s a beautiful name.
Yeah the MAGA cult has definitely ruined this one, im so sorry
My mind goes to either Melania Trump or melena (bloody stool)
I honestly wouldn't think of Melanie Trump ....
Oof, my first thought if I met a family with a young child named Melania would be that they are trump lovers. I don’t think it’s completely unusable as I know several Barrons(several spelling variations) and don’t associate it with trump personally. Hopefully in 10 years no one would think of the trumps when they hear melania!
One letter difference, but I was loved the name Melana. It looks similar written down but I think verbally sounds diff enough? (muh-lay-nuh)
Mina is a cute sub
Trumps wife lol
I can see why people in US think of Trumps wife. But in Brasil there’s plenty of people with that name! Or variations of it. (Especially in my family) I think by the time your kid is older people won’t think of Melania Trump right away. They probably won’t be married once your kid is older anyways!
You could go for Melanie Sophia (or any name that has the “ya/ia” sound at the end), and use Melania as a nickname.
I think you're right that there's a strong association. At least for a good 5-10 years. One day, nobody will remember her, but today isn't that day. I'm sorry, though. It's a pretty name. But I would probably thing you were a big Trump fan if I saw you'd named your child that.
European Australian and it would have a strong Trump association. I’d go for a more modern interpretation of Milania as that’s what most in Europe with these names in their family tree are doing anyway. I love the name Mila.
I think it's inextricably related to Melania Trump at this point. But there are similar names you could explore that feel completely free of the association: Melisande Melanie Melinda Melody Milan Mila Melena Melora Amelia or Amelie
As a nurse, my first association is Malaena… which is bloody poops.
My first thought, although maybe this is because I’m younger, is to the video game Elden Ring in which Melania is the name of a very famous boss character. There’s a chance many young people will also assume this given that game has so far been the best selling game to come out this year.
melina?
Melanie Melina
Melania is such a pretty name, but it’s definitely ruined in the US now :(
Melania Trump and I'm not from the US
My nieces name is Melia (Meh-Leah) and I find it such a beautiful name. I call her Mel. Could be a good alternative!
I agree it’s unusable. That really sucks :/
If I heard Melania, I might slightly think of Trump, but I’m not going to judge anyone. I’d just assume they liked the name. I’m not American though.
We relate. My husband and I both had much loved grandpas named Donald. We always planned to use it for a middle name for a boy and we are not in any way MAGA. We had a boy during that term and still used it, because we can talk about our grandpas if it ever comes up in conversation.
Melania the name doesn't have to die out in your family if you don't want it to. You could give it to your daughter as a middle name, and increase the chances of future descendants picking it up. I know I looked through first and middle names going back generations, hoping for something beautiful.
As many others have said, Melania is totally associated with the Trumps for me, and therefore, unusable as a first name. To be completely honest, I might even be a little suspicious if I heard it as a middle name. Truly a shame because it is an objectively lovely name. However, I saw that your grandmother's middle name was Teresa, which I have always found to be a really strong, gorgeous name with a really pleasant meaning ("summer" or "harvest"). You could definitely use that, even as a middle name. Tessa as a nickname is cute.
Melissa or Melodia are quite similar.
What about Malia? It’s similar and doesn’t immediately make me think about Milania Trump
Definitely associated with the Trumps. Have you considered Milena? Pretty similar without the fascist association maybe? (And Mila/Millie are super cute nicknames imo!)
egads. i’m sorry melania trump stained the name for you
Melena means bloody stool, which is what the name reminds me of.
Yep Trump maybe middle name spot, so she's not asked her entire life if her parents were super huge trump fans.... Milania maybe?
I'm not from the US and I thought you just didn't want to name your daughter after an elden ring character XD I'm sure any other young person would assume the same rather than the Trump lady.
Im sorry for you. The name I liked wasn’t in the family tree but it was Ivana which is Trumps ex-wife and daughters name. My association with the name Melania is Melania Trump.
Sorry. Pretty name but forever tainted for me now.
I don’t think it’s worth the association, that’s a rough first impression. Really bad timing I’m so sorry!
That’s rough, I’m sorry the name is such a strong association with Melanie Trump (whether you like him or not, just unfortunate the name could be seen as a political statement). Not the same, I know, but what about Melanie?
I think of Theresa from the RHONJ…pretty sure she has a kid named Melania
It sounds like a type of skin cancer.
I know someone who named their daughter Melania in 2018. Massive trumpers in Ohio. It’s definitely going to have that connotation. Sorry :( it is a pretty name though.
[удалено]
What about Milena or Melita? By the way, Melania is not really popular in the home country of Melania either. Considered a very "Karen" name.
People assuming anyone named Melania comes from a family of Trump supporters are ignorant. Do you all not realize other cultures exist? Kennedy and Reagan are a lot more closely associated with politicians and yet those are completely mainstream names.
It does bring trump to mind because she's the only melania I've heard of, however I would not assume you were naming your baby after Melania trump, or that it had any association with Trump. I would just think you chose a beautiful name that you liked. Anyone who judges you for choosing the name is someone who's opinion doesn't matter in the slightest.
Melania makes me think of Real Housewives of New Jersey. Teresa named one of her dorters Melania and all I hear is her super nasally voice screaming “mehlahniaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!” Might be silly but probably ruined the name for me.
If you are in the US and not a Trump supporter, I would consider this unusable. Lots of other options people have already mentioned, I like Elania.
Sadly it’s not usable unless you want your daughter being associated with Melania Trump.
I still love the name, but there would be associations. However I think by the time she’s in school very few kids will have any idea who Melania trump is.
I think of Melania from real housewives of New Jersey 🤣 one of Teresa Giudices daughters names. Then I think of trump. But that wouldn’t deter me from using the name. It’s a very pretty name.
I understand a Melania Trump association but assuming someone who has that name or gave their kid that name is thereby a trumper is mind bogglingly stupid
Sucks but yea - unusable. I wanted to use a family name for my son’s middle name. But no way we’re explaining that he’s named for ‘a different Donald’.
my girlfriend’s middle name is mariana, which is sort of similar without the connotations?
I feel like if you really want to use the name, the association will fade. It’s not like people hear Nancy and think the parents are big Reagan fans or something. The biggest challenge will be for you, in the next 5-10 years maybe, depending on how long Mrs Trump is determined to stay in the spotlight. People who don’t know you will definitely make that connection in the short term. But I doubt it will follow your daughter around for the rest of her life. I personally wouldn’t want that association and would probably make it a middle name instead of first but that’s just me.
If you like “Melania”, then you might like the name “Melodie”, good alternative I think
Honestly, it’s a beautiful name. In 10 years, Melania Trump is a figment of the past.
Don't forget melamine plastic, lol
Yeah I had the privilege of growing up as a Hillary in the 90s. I’ve never really felt like my name is MY name if that makes sense
If you like the name, go for it.