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Meaning & History
From the family name of Philipp Melanchthon (1497-1560), Protestant leader and associate of Luther. The name was originally Schwartzerdt, "black-earth", in German, which was translated into Greek (using melas (genitive melanos) "black" and chthon "land, earth, soil"), as was sometimes done during the time of the enthusiasm for Greek studies during the Renaissance. The name makes only an occasional appearance in the United States. (Cf. Luther.)