Malinda
Girl name · #2859 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 59 baby girls were named Malinda, placing it at #2859 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #2318, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 30,508 girls born in 2025 was named Malinda.
The 145-year story
Malinda first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 35 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1969, when 460 girls were named Malinda — good for #447 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Malinda per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Malinda against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Malinda in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Malinda is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Malinda will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Malinda is most common
State-level data for Malinda is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Malinda
Statistically, parents drawn to Malinda tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Melinda, Yolanda, Belinda, Lucinda, and Melisa.
MelindaYolandaBelindaLucindaMelisaBrendaCorinnaSuzanna
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Malinda | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 59 | #2859 |
| 2024 | 58 | #2857 |
| 2023 | 76 | #2379 |
| 2022 | 67 | #2604 |
| 2021 | 48 | #3297 |
| 2020 | 60 | #2748 |
| 2019 | 62 | #2729 |
| 2018 | 71 | #2478 |
| 2017 | 64 | #2689 |
| 2016 | 67 | #2617 |
| 2015 | 80 | #2318 |
| 2014 | 84 | #2236 |
| 2013 | 75 | #2408 |
| 2012 | 59 | #2901 |
| 2011 | 55 | #3051 |
| 2010 | 70 | #2589 |
| 2009 | 97 | #2090 |
| 2008 | 83 | #2334 |
| 2007 | 83 | #2311 |
| 2006 | 97 | #2031 |
| 2005 | 80 | #2254 |
| 2004 | 90 | #2030 |
| 2003 | 89 | #2019 |
| 2002 | 108 | #1695 |
| 2001 | 108 | #1671 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Malinda a popular girl name?
Malinda ranked #2859 among girls in 2025 with 59 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2318.
When was the name Malinda most popular?
Malinda peaked in 1969, when 460 American girls received the name (ranked #447 that year). Since 1969 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Malinda?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 30,508 newborn American girls was named Malinda. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.