Manon

Manon is a French diminutive of Marie, which itself derives from the Latin Maria and ultimately from the Hebrew name Miryam, whose meaning is debated but possibly relates to words meaning beloved or bitter. It developed as an affectionate pet form in French-speaking regions and spread to Dutch use as well. The name gained wide literary and cultural recognition through Abbé Prévost's 1731 novel Manon Lescaut, whose heroine inspired operas by both Massenet and Puccini. Marie, Marion, and Marianne are closely related forms sharing the same Hebrew root.