Girl · #2,633 in 2026

Malinda

Melinda is a feminine given name.

  • English
Current Rank
#2,633
Peak Rank
#251 (1969)
Total Babies
22K
5-Yr Trend
+9%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
1969
Peak Year
#251
Peak Rank
22K
Total Count
147
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Malinda

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Melinda is a feminine given name.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English
Etymology
The modern name Melinda is a combination of "Mel" with the suffix "-inda". "Mel" can be derived from names such as Melanie meaning "dark, black" in Greek , or from Melina meaning "sweet like honey" or from Melissa (μέλισσα) meaning "honeybee" in Greek. It is also associated with the Greek word meli , meaning "honey", and with Linda , from "lind" meaning "gentle, soft, tender" in the Germanic languages .

The Story of Malinda

The earliest SSA record of Malinda as a baby girl name dates back to 1880, when 35 babies received it. 1969 was its biggest year on record, with 460 newborns named Malinda — #447 in the national rankings. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #2,633 among baby girl names with 66 births, gradually rising (+9%). In total, more than 22K Malindas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Malinda

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Malinda. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Malinda

Phonetically similar names — useful when Malinda is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Malinda

What does the name Malinda mean?
Melinda is a feminine given name.
What is the origin of the name Malinda?
Malinda has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.
How popular is Malinda in 2026?
In 2026, Malinda ranks #2,633 among girls' names in the U.S., with 66 babies given the name that year.
When was Malinda most popular?
Malinda reached its peak popularity in 1969, ranking #251 that year with 460 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Malinda most popular?
Malinda has historically been most popular in South Dakota, Iowa, West Virginia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Malinda.
Is Malinda a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Malinda is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Malinda?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Malinda include Cathleen, Elinor, Elaina. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Malinda?
Common variants and related forms of Malinda include Malani, Mel, Melanie, Melany, Melinda, Melissa. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

Similar Names

👧
Cathleen
Peak #251
👧
Elinor
Peak #252
👧
Elaina
Peak #250
👧
Nikita
Peak #250
👧
Staci
Peak #250
👧
Skyler
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👧
Nola
Peak #249
👧
Jodie
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About the name Malinda

Malinda is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 22K births in the dataset. Malinda's peak popularity came in 1969 when it ranked #251. Use the chart and map above to compare Malinda's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.