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Melanie facts for kids

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Melanie
Pronunciation MEL-ə-nee
Gender Female
Name day December 31
Origin
Word/Name Greek
Meaning Black, dark
Other names
Related names Mel, Mélanie, Melani, Melany, Milani, Melania

The name Melanie is a popular name often given to girls. It has a long history and an interesting meaning.

About the Name Melanie

The name Melanie comes from the ancient Greek word melania. This word means blackness or dark. It's a name that has been used for many years, but it became much more common in English-speaking countries later on.

How Melanie Became Popular

Melanie started to become a well-known name in the English world around the 1930s. This happened because of a very famous novel called Gone with the Wind. The book was published in 1936, and a popular movie based on it came out in 1939. One of the main characters in this story was named Melanie Hamilton.

Because so many people read the book and watched the movie, the name Melanie became very popular. Its popularity grew steadily until the 1970s. After that, it remained a common name for many years. For example, in the United States, Melanie was the 80th most common name for baby girls in 2007.

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