indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Gender Feminine
Usage Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Scripts Μελανθώ(Ancient Greek)
Other Forms FormsMelantha (17th-century adaptation)
Meaning & History
Derived from Greek μελανθης (melanthes) "black". This is the name of several minor figures in Greek mythology. It also occurs in Homer's epic the 'Odyssey' belonging to the favourite maid of Penelope, who is described as "sharp-tongued", and is later hanged alongside the other maids who had lain with Penelope's suitors; she is the sister of Melanthios, an insolent goatherd killed by Odysseus.