Melinda

Melinda is a girl's name of English origin meaning “dark, black.” In 2024 it was given to 91 girls in the United States.

Melinda at a glance

Gender
Girl name
Origin
English & American
Meaning
“dark, black”
Pronunciation
/məˈlɪn.də/

About the name Melinda

Melinda belongs to the English & American tradition. Its meaning — “dark, black” — is the sense carried by its English roots, and it is the meaning we verified against published sources for this page.

In the United States, Melinda first appears in Social Security records in 1880. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #72 in 1973, and in 2024 91 babies received the name — 135,724 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

Melinda in US records

First recorded (US)
1880
Best US rank
#72 in 1973
Peak year
1970
Babies named Melinda in 2024
91
Total since 1880
135,724

Melinda in England & Wales records

First recorded (since 1996)
1996
Best rank
#1543 in 1997
Babies named Melinda in 2024
9
Total since 1996
270

Similar names

More names from the English & American shelf:

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Melinda mean?

Melinda means “dark, black” in its English roots. We check every meaning against published sources before it appears here.

Is Melinda a boy or girl name?

Melinda is a girl name. In 2024, 91 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name Melinda?

Melinda comes from the English & American tradition.

How popular is the name Melinda?

Melinda first appears in US records in 1880. Its best-ever ranking was #72 in 1973, and 91 babies were given the name in 2024.

How do you pronounce Melinda?

Melinda is pronounced /məˈlɪn.də/ (IPA).

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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. England & Wales figures are from the Office for National Statistics. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.