Melanie

See also: Mélanie

English

Etymology

From French Mélanie, from Latin Melania, the name of two Roman fifth century saints, from Ancient Greek μέλας (mélas, “black, dark”).

Proper noun

Melanie

1. A female given name from Ancient Greek.
   • 1967, Angela Carter, The Magic Toyshop, Virago Press, published 1994, →ISBN, page 64:

     'I learn the craft. I'm your uncle's apprentice, Melanie.' - - - She did not quite like the way he kept calling her by her name; there was a humorous inlection on the three liquid syllables as though he found the name funny.

Usage notes

• Popular in the English-speaking world in the latter half of the 20th century. Formerly rare.

Related terms

• Melanesia

Translations

female given name

• Danish: Melanie
• French: Mélanie (fr)
• German: Melanie (de)
• Ingrian: Malenia
• Polish: Melania (pl) f
• Russian: Мела́ния (ru) f (Melánija) cognate, Мала́нья (ru) f (Malánʹja) cognate, Ме́лани (ru) f (Mélani) transliteration
• Spanish: Melania (es) f
• Ukrainian: Мела́нія (uk) f (Melánija)

Anagrams

• Emaline, Niemela

Danish

Etymology

From Latin Melania, from Ancient Greek μέλας (mélas, “black, dark”).

Proper noun

Melanie

1. a female given name

Usage notes

• Popular in Denmark in the 1990s and the 2000s.

German

Alternative forms

• Melani (rare, uncommon)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin Melania, from Ancient Greek μέλας (mélas, “black, dark”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmeːlani/, /ˈmɛlani/

• Audio

  (file)

• Audio

  (file)

Proper noun

Melanie

1. a female given name

Usage notes

• Popular in Germany in the end of the 20th century.