Informations on Melinda

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 Melissa meaning "honey bee" in Greek. It is also associated with the Greek word meli meaning "honey" and with Linda meaning "gentle, soft, tender" in Germanic

Pronunciation

The typical English pronunciation of Melinda is /m?'l?n.d?/. In Hungarian however, the stress is on the first syllable and the vowels are pronounced as in Hungarian.

Stereotype

According to The Baby Name Personality Survey by Bruce Lansky and Barry Sinrod (1990), people have good images of the name Melinda: "a perky, open, fun girl; a sweet, dorky, shy dreamer; but never a spoiled, self-centered brat".

Usage and popularity

The name Melinda is used in English and Hungarian. In the United States, its popularity peaked in 1973 at No. 72. In 1990 it was in the top 1000 names in the US, and in 2002 it was in the top 100 names in Hungary. Since its peak the popularity of the name Melinda has been gradually declining in the United States, to last be seen on the top 1000 list in 2002 at No. 932.