Melanie

Melanie is of ancient Greek origin, derived from the root melas, meaning black or dark. The name was borne by two early Christian saints, most notably Melania the Elder and her granddaughter Melania the Younger, wealthy Roman noblewomen of the fourth and fifth centuries who gave away their fortunes and devoted themselves to religious life, which helped spread the name through the medieval Christian world. It entered French as Mélanie and spread widely across Europe and the English-speaking world, gaining particular popularity in the twentieth century. Related forms include Melania, the Latinate variant used in several European languages, and the masculine cognate Melanios.