Melanie
Melanie is a feminine given name derived from the
Greek μελανία (melania), "blackness" and that from μέλας (melas), meaning "dark". Borne in its Latin form by two saints,
Melania the Elder and her granddaughter
Melania the Younger, 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 because of the popularity of
Margaret Mitchell's 1936 novel ''
Gone with the Wind'' and its
1939 film adaptation, 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 1957 and, as
Mélanie, it was the 86th most popular name for girls born in
France in 2004.
Provided by Wikipedia