I found out about this name from one of my favorite books, Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke. I think it's a beautiful name; Mel or Sandy work as nicknames.
My name is actually Méliande and I am not joking. I did not even think it would be on this site because it is a very rare name! But I love my name, and yes my nickname is Mel!
I agree with everyone who says this name fits a princess.I was just browsing the French Names section of this site when I found this name. It's a typical misconception (particularly here in America) that most French girls have names like Marie, Anne, Christine, Julie, Elodie. Pretty basic. However, after coming across names like Dieudonee (sorry I don't have accents), Donatienne, Ghislaine, Gwenaelle, the exotic Magali, and the ever-beautiful Melisande. I'm blown away by the relatively untapped beauty of naming. (Well, untapped over here!)