Melanie

Meaning of Melanie

Melanie springs from the Greek “melaina,” meaning “dark” or “black,” a nod to velvety night skies rather than storm clouds, and journeyed through Latin hagiography—courtesy of two philanthropic fourth- and fifth-century Saints Melania—before slipping into French as the elegant “Mélanie” and ultimately establishing Anglo-American residency in the 18th century. Today it is usually voiced as MEL-uh-nee in English, though those with a Gallic twinkle may opt for the softer meh-lah-NEE; either way, the three clean syllables flow as easily as a lullaby. Stateside, Melanie made a cinematic leap after Gone with the Wind, vaulted to a glittering No. 41 in 1972, and has since glided into the low-hundreds—neither so common that half the kindergarten class turns, nor so elusive that teachers stumble, a balance many parents secretly prize. Pop culture lends further gloss: the Woodstock folk singer Melanie Safka, the ever-energetic Spice Girls’ Mel B and Mel C, and a scattering of silver-screen Melanies all contribute hints of bohemian grit beneath the name’s polite exterior. Warm yet faintly mysterious, classical yet current, Melanie offers a versatile canvas on which a child can paint her own story.

Pronunciation

French

• Pronunced as MEH-lah-nee (/me.la.ni/)

English

• Pronunced as MEL-uh-nee (/ˈmɛləni/)

• Mila
• Marley
• Mabel
• Melinda
• Meredith
• Melody
• Melissa