Melania Trump’s Slovenian First Name and the Surprising Surname She Abandoned After Moving to the US
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Melania Trump, born Melanija Knavs on April 26, 1970, in Novo Mesto, Slovenia (then part of Yugoslavia), came from humble beginnings far removed from the White House spotlight. Raised alongside her older sister, Ines, by parents Viktor and Amalija Knavs, her Slovenian surname “Knavs,” with Germanic roots, translates to “hillock,” reflecting her heritage.
As reported by Irish Star, Melanija’s name originates from the Greek word mélas, meaning “dark” or “black.” When she launched her modeling career at 16, Melania altered her name, adopting the Germanic spelling “Knauss” and dropping the ‘j’ from her first name. This small but significant change marked her transition into the global spotlight.
Her modeling career eventually brought her to New York City in the 1990s, where she met Donald Trump at a 1998 New York Fashion Week party. The two married in 2005. Melania Trump holds a unique place in American history as the only First Lady whose native language wasn’t English. Fluent in six languages—Slovenian, English, French, German, Italian, and Serbo-Croatian—she maintained a reserved public persona throughout her time in the White House.
Her “Be Best” initiative, focused on children’s well-being, combating opioid abuse, and encouraging responsible social media use, highlighted her priorities while largely keeping her out of political debates. Fashion psychologist Dawnn Karen explained Melania’s often aloof demeanor, noting, “She tends to wear sunglasses and hats to shield herself from the public eye. As she’s stated in previous interviews, she often feels as though she is being bullied.”
According to People magazine, Despite her quiet approach, Melania consistently earned praise from her husband, Donald Trump, who compared her to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. “There was Jackie O, and that’s good. But we have our own Jackie O today. It’s called Melania…Melania. We’ll call it Melania T. Okay?… By the way, people love her. People love her. She gets no credit from the media but she gets credit from the people,” Trump said.
However, Melania’s relationship with the Trump family has sparked speculation. In The Art of Her Deal by Mary Jordan, reports claimed Ivanka Trump referred to Melania as “The Portrait” due to her reserved nature, while Melania allegedly called Ivanka “The Princess” for her perceived entitlement.
White House officials strongly denied the claims. Stephanie Grisham called the book “fiction,” while former spokesman Judd Deere added, “These allegations couldn’t be further from the truth…Hit pieces like these only serve to conjure non-existent palace-intrigue stories unworthy of the paper they’re printed on.”
Melania Trump’s journey—from a modest upbringing in Slovenia to First Lady of the United States—remains a story of transformation, resilience, and enduring public intrigue.
