Melinda
How to say it: muh-LIN-duh · /məˈlɪndə/
18th-century coinage blending Melissa or Mel (Greek: 'honey') with the suffix -inda; no ancient precedent.
Melinda was the 1,145th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 97 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1970s, its births are down about 38% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #1,213 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #1,145 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 97 |
| Share of births | 1 in 21,252 |
| Peak decade | 1970s |
| Change over 10 years | −38% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #1,213 |
| In France, 2025 | #1,126 among girls’ names, 20 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Melinda peaked in the 1970s and is less common today.
What goes with it
Parents who love Melinda also love
Nicknames
- Mel
- Mindy
- Linda
- Meli
Other spellings
Honouring a Melinda in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Melinda is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish.
In France: #1,126 for girls in 2025.
Famous people named Melinda
- Melinda Gates (born 1964)American philanthropist
- Melinda Clarke (born 1969)American actress
- Melinda Czink (born 1982)Hungarian tennis player
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Keep exploring
About as popular as Melinda
Find names you'll both love, starting with Melinda
The one-minute style quiz.