Melinda: name meaning, origin & popularity
- Meaning
- “uncertain; possibly sweet or gentle”
- Origin
- Unknown
- Say it
- mə-LIN-duh · 3 syllables
- Used for
- Girls
Probably a modern coinage or elaboration of names such as Melina, Belinda, or Melissa. Its exact origin is uncertain. The origin of this name is not settled among etymologists.
How popular is Melinda?
Babies named Melinda in 202491
2024 rank#2,094 girls
Peak year1973
Total US babies since 1880136,061
Melinda is fading: recent use is about 56% of its level ten years before.
Names like Melinda
Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.
- Mindysweet · English
- Malindasweet; dark · English
- Avauncertain; possibly bird or life · Unknown
- Mayauncertain; often illusion or water · Unknown
- Ailanyuncertain · Unknown
- Alanauncertain; often linked to little rock or handsome · Unknown
- Leiauncertain; often used as a form of Leah · Unknown
- Londonfrom London, place name · Unknown
Melinda questions
What does the name Melinda mean?
Melinda means "uncertain; possibly sweet or gentle". It comes from Unknown. Probably a modern coinage or elaboration of names such as Melina, Belinda, or Melissa. Its exact origin is uncertain.
Is Melinda a boy or girl name?
Melinda is mainly a girl's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).
How popular is Melinda?
91 US babies were named Melinda in 2024. Its peak year was 1973.
How do you pronounce Melinda?
Melinda is usually pronounced mə-LIN-duh.
Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.