Melanie

Melanie
Pronunciation English: /ˈmɛləni/ mel-ə-nee, German: [ˈmɛlaniː]
Gender Female
Origin
Word/Name Greek
Meaning Black, dark
Other names
Related names Mel, Mélanie, Melani, Milani

Melanie is a feminine given name derived from the Greek μελανία (melania), "blackness"[1] and that from μέλας (melas), meaning "dark".[2] Borne in its Latin form by two saints: Melania the Elder and her grand-daughter Melania the Younger,[3] the name was introduced to England by the Normans in its French form Melanie. However the name only became common in English usage in the 1930s due to the popularity of Margaret Mitchell's 1936 novel Gone with the Wind and its 1939 filmation, as one of the novel's main characters was named Melanie Hamilton. The name's popularity increased until the 1970s since remaining constant. Melanie was the 80th most popular name for girls born in the United States in 2007 and - as Mélanie - was the 86th most popular name for girls born in France in 2004.[4] In Australia Melanie is typically pronounced with the second syllable stressed.

Notable namesakes include:

Notable fictional namesakes include:

See also:

References

  1. ^ Melania, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon at Perseus project
  2. ^ Melas, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon at Perseus project
  3. ^ Behind the Name
  4. ^ Behind the Name, ibid.