Melina

Derived from the Greek word for honey, meli, though it has also served as a southern European diminutive for names like Carmelina. American parents largely ignored it until Greek actress Melina Mercouri gained international recognition in the nineteen-sixties. The name drifted quietly through the records before hitting a modern wave after the turn of the millennium.

The name reads as late-model and polished, sitting squarely on college campuses and high school honor rolls. It avoids the heavy consonant weight of midcentury standards while sidestepping the extreme brevity of newer one-syllable trends. Most people hearing it expect someone born during the George W. Bush administration. The name spends considerable time clarifying that it is neither Melanie nor Melissa.