Gender Feminine
Pronounced Pron. /ˈmɛl.ə.ni/(English) /ˈmeː.la.ni/(German) /me.la.ˈniː/(German)  [key·simplify]

Meaning & History

From Mélanie, the French form of the Latin name Melania, derived from Greek μέλαινα (melaina) meaning "black, dark". This was the name of a Roman saint who gave all her wealth to charity in the 5th century. Her grandmother was also a saint with the same name.

The name was common in France during the Middle Ages, and was introduced from there to England, though it eventually became rare. Interest in it was revived by the character Melanie Wilkes from the novel Gone with the Wind (1936) and the subsequent movie adaptation (1939).

Related Names

VariantsMalani, Melany, Mellony(English)
DiminutivesMalinda, Mel, Melina, Melinda, Mindy, Melantha(English)
Other Languages & CulturesMelánie(Czech) Mélanie(French) Melano(Georgian) Melaina(Greek Mythology) Melánia, Melinda(Hungarian) Melania(Italian) Melania(Late Roman) Melanija(Latvian) Melanija(Lithuanian) Melanija(Macedonian) Melania(Polish) Melania(Romanian) Melanija(Serbian) Melánia(Slovak) Melanija(Slovene) Melania(Spanish) Melaniya(Ukrainian)
Same SpellingMélanie, Melánie

People think this name is

classic   formal   upper class   natural   wholesome   refined   strange   serious  

Name Days

Austria: October 6
Austria: December 31
Estonia: September 12

Images

Saint Melania the Younger from a 10th-century miniatureSaint Melania the Younger from a 10th-century miniature

Categories

Entry updated December 7, 2022