Melinda
Girl name · #1982 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 97 baby girls were named Melinda, placing it at #1982 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1362, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 18,557 girls born in 2025 was named Melinda.
The 145-year story
Melinda first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 14 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1970, when 4,225 girls were named Melinda — good for #93 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 Melinda per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Melinda against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Melinda in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Melinda is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Melinda will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Melinda is most common
State-level data for Melinda 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 Melinda
Statistically, parents drawn to Melinda tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Malinda, Yolanda, Belinda, Lucinda, and Brenda.
MalindaYolandaBelindaLucindaBrendaTamaraDeannaMelisa
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Melinda | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 97 | #1981 |
| 2024 | 91 | #2099 |
| 2023 | 91 | #2107 |
| 2022 | 83 | #2253 |
| 2021 | 93 | #2057 |
| 2020 | 105 | #1849 |
| 2019 | 98 | #1971 |
| 2018 | 120 | #1717 |
| 2017 | 131 | #1643 |
| 2016 | 139 | #1590 |
| 2015 | 174 | #1362 |
| 2014 | 165 | #1391 |
| 2013 | 150 | #1479 |
| 2012 | 174 | #1346 |
| 2011 | 193 | #1237 |
| 2010 | 227 | #1095 |
| 2009 | 209 | #1198 |
| 2008 | 253 | #1036 |
| 2007 | 251 | #1045 |
| 2006 | 252 | #1015 |
| 2005 | 217 | #1096 |
| 2004 | 219 | #1058 |
| 2003 | 209 | #1067 |
| 2002 | 242 | #923 |
| 2001 | 306 | #772 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Melinda a popular girl name?
Melinda ranked #1982 among girls in 2025 with 97 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1362.
When was the name Melinda most popular?
Melinda peaked in 1970, when 4,225 American girls received the name (ranked #93 that year). Since 1970 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Melinda?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 18,557 newborn American girls was named Melinda. 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.