Melinda

#1,981 for girls in 2025, 97 births · Last seen for boys in 1994 at #8,800
Given to girls 99.8% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1973 · 4,144 births
Debut · girls
14 births
In top 100 · girls
15 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · girls
135,822
since 1880

Melinda over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201966peak #72, 1973girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#1,98197—
2024#2,09991—
2023#2,10791—
2022#2,25383—
2021#2,05793—
2020#1,849105—
2019#1,97198—
2018#1,717120—
2017#1,643131—
2016#1,590139—
2015#1,362174—
2014#1,391165—
2013#1,479150—
2012#1,346174—
2011#1,237193—
2010#1,095227—
2009#1,198209—
2008#1,036253—
2007#1,045251—
2006#1,015252—
2005#1,096217—
2004#1,058219—
2003#1,067209—
2002#923242—
2001#772306—
2000#695337—
1999#606401—
1998#583414—
1997#518462—
1996#464540—
1995#409633—
1994#348765#8,8005
1993#283979—
1992#2591,085—
1991#2231,266—
1990#2081,381—
1989#1751,586#6,2297
1988#1481,879#4,45010
1987#1431,920#4,9688
1986#1471,959#5,3327
1985#1372,114#6,5235
1984#1292,228#4,2159
1983#1382,142#4,1419
1982#1232,409#3,69211
1981#1082,774#4,5098
1980#923,201#2,96515
1979#823,705#3,16813
1978#843,563#3,07013
1977#963,044#3,60610
1976#952,995#3,26411
1975#913,282#2,36118
1974#813,752#2,35817
1973#724,144#2,85712
1972#813,671#2,41815
1971#854,057#2,12619
1970#934,225#2,89111
1969#893,988#2,21715
1968#903,814#3,1078
1967#953,632#2,9858
1966#1023,382#2,62710
1965#1003,796#3,5376
1964#1133,703#3,2827
1963#1213,575#3,0448
1962#1183,854#3,0418
1961#1293,507#3,3567
1960#1433,046#4,0385
1959#1512,805#3,2907
1958#1422,937#3,9445
1957#1462,828—
1956#1422,713—
1955#1502,413#3,8865
1954#1761,954#3,8275
1953#1761,773—
1952#1951,513—
1951#2051,410—
1950#2211,163—
1949#2271,073—
1948#265840—
1947#299696—
1946#336484—
1945#374355—
1944#347393—
1943#308510—
1942#329442—
1941#374328—
1940#383302—
1939#484192—
1938#659108—
1937#76180—
1936#99348—
1935#1,11939—
1934#1,69720—
1933#1,65821—
1932#1,75420—
1931#1,87618—
1930#1,74821—
1929#1,89219—
1928#2,95410—
1927#1,82822—
1926#2,16517—
1925#1,64726—
1924#1,77024—
1923#1,78223—
1922#1,83622—
1921#2,28216—
1920#1,75123—
1919#1,60425—
1918#1,75422—
1917#1,84719—
1916#1,53324—
1915#1,47524—
1914#1,30323—
1913#1,40517—
1912#1,05524—
1911#2,4635—
1910#1,11016—
1909#1,05215—
1908#1,08414—
1907#99015—
1906#1,15411—
1905#1,6966—
1904#85318—
1903#1,07611—
1902#1,13310—
1901#79517—
1900#83320—
1899#79117—
1898#75020—
1897#82615—
1896#87214—
1895#65822—
1894#81214—
1893#82613—
1892#63820—
1891#9439—
1890#75813—
1889#62017—
1888#54821—
1887#8608—
1886#50819—
1885#69510—
1884#8517—
1883#56112—
1882#59610—
1881#50311—
1880#44914—
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Melinda was already there! It came in at #449, and was given to 14 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1911, when fewer than 6 girls a year got the name.

Where Melinda is popular in 1966

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #62 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 195 girlsAKMaine: #137 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 643 girlsMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Melinda, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: #138 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 668 girlsNHWashington: #89 for girls · 63 births · 1 in 339 girlsWAIdaho: #86 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 290 girlsIDMontana: #137 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 503 girlsMTNorth Dakota: #173 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 771 girlsNDMinnesota: #173 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 979 girlsMNIllinois: #147 for girls · 126 births · 1 in 698 girlsILWisconsin: #191 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 1,226 girlsWIMichigan: #130 for girls · 118 births · 1 in 623 girlsMINew York: #183 for girls · 157 births · 1 in 929 girlsNYMassachusetts: #180 for girls · 41 births · 1 in 1,098 girlsMARhode Island: #146 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 775 girlsRIOregon: #74 for girls · 48 births · 1 in 276 girlsORNevada: #77 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 224 girlsNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Melinda, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #167 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 676 girlsSDIowa: #95 for girls · 54 births · 1 in 390 girlsIAIndiana: #61 for girls · 159 births · 1 in 265 girlsINOhio: #89 for girls · 223 births · 1 in 382 girlsOHPennsylvania: #148 for girls · 118 births · 1 in 759 girlsPANew Jersey: #205 for girls · 45 births · 1 in 1,147 girlsNJConnecticut: #185 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 1,002 girlsCTCalifornia: #109 for girls · 303 births · 1 in 507 girlsCAUtah: #109 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 420 girlsUTColorado: #100 for girls · 37 births · 1 in 410 girlsCONebraska: #144 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 661 girlsNEMissouri: #83 for girls · 98 births · 1 in 353 girlsMOKentucky: #57 for girls · 106 births · 1 in 234 girlsKYWest Virginia: #65 for girls · 50 births · 1 in 252 girlsWVVirginia: #97 for girls · 84 births · 1 in 408 girlsVAMaryland: #102 for girls · 57 births · 1 in 480 girlsMDDelaware: #132 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 535 girlsDEArizona: #130 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 512 girlsAZNew Mexico: #126 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 458 girlsNMKansas: #66 for girls · 54 births · 1 in 265 girlsKSArkansas: #52 for girls · 64 births · 1 in 218 girlsARTennessee: #61 for girls · 116 births · 1 in 261 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #74 for girls · 124 births · 1 in 320 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #74 for girls · 73 births · 1 in 291 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #200 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 918 girlsDCOklahoma: #75 for girls · 54 births · 1 in 290 girlsOKLouisiana: #87 for girls · 91 births · 1 in 352 girlsLAMississippi: #79 for girls · 59 births · 1 in 331 girlsMSAlabama: #72 for girls · 93 births · 1 in 297 girlsALGeorgia: #84 for girls · 103 births · 1 in 376 girlsGAHawaii: #125 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 446 girlsHITexas: #75 for girls · 274 births · 1 in 335 girlsTXFlorida: #92 for girls · 107 births · 1 in 401 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Arkansas#52 · 1 in 218
  2. Kentucky#57 · 1 in 234
  3. Tennessee#61 · 1 in 261
  4. Indiana#61 · 1 in 265
  5. Alaska#62 · 1 in 195

Best ever in a state: #30 in Utah, 1972.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Arkansas#52641 in 218
Kentucky#571061 in 234
Indiana#611591 in 265
Tennessee#611161 in 261
Alaska#62111 in 195
West Virginia#65501 in 252
Kansas#66541 in 265
Alabama#72931 in 297
North Carolina#741241 in 320
Oregon#74481 in 276
South Carolina#74731 in 291
Oklahoma#75541 in 290
Texas#752741 in 335
Nevada#77131 in 224
Mississippi#79591 in 331
Missouri#83981 in 353
Georgia#841031 in 376
Idaho#86151 in 290
Louisiana#87911 in 352
Ohio#892231 in 382
Washington#89631 in 339
Florida#921071 in 401
Iowa#95541 in 390
Virginia#97841 in 408
Colorado#100371 in 410
Maryland#102571 in 480
California#1093031 in 507
Utah#109211 in 420
Hawaii#125111 in 446
New Mexico#126191 in 458
Arizona#130251 in 512
Michigan#1301181 in 623
Delaware#13271 in 535
Maine#137121 in 643
Montana#13791 in 503
New Hampshire#13871 in 668
Nebraska#144161 in 661
Rhode Island#14691 in 775
Illinois#1471261 in 698
Pennsylvania#1481181 in 759
South Dakota#16771 in 676
Minnesota#173301 in 979
North Dakota#17361 in 771
Massachusetts#180411 in 1,098
New York#1831571 in 929
Connecticut#185221 in 1,002
Wisconsin#191291 in 1,226
District of Columbia#200121 in 918
New Jersey#205451 in 1,147
Vermont———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Melinda
Momentum · girls
Holding steady
  • 118 spots since 2024 (#2,099 → #1,981)
  • 132 spots since 2020 (#1,849 → #1,981)
  • 619 spots since 2015 (#1,362 → #1,981)
  • Biggest jump: 312 spots in 1888 (#860 → #548)
  • Biggest drop: 843 spots in 1905 (#853 → #1,696)
Rise & fade · girls
93 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1973 at #72 (4,144 births)
  • Births halved by 1986, 13 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 100 for 15 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 15 yrs · run 1967–1980
  • Top 1,000: 91 yrs · run 1936–2002
Share of babies · girls
1 in 352
  • Highest: 1 in 352 girls born in 1973 were named Melinda (0.28%)
  • Latest: 1 in 16,570 girls born in 2025 (0.01%)
Era · girls
The 1970s
  • 26.8% of all girls named Melinda (36,438) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s129#449 (1880)#619
1890s157#638 (1892)#787
1900s137#795 (1901)#1,067
1910s199#1,055 (1912)#1,555
1920s202#1,647 (1925)#1,991
1930s567#484 (1939)#1,275
1940s5,423#227 (1949)#324
1950s21,509#142 (1958)#170
1960s36,297#89 (1969)#110
1970s36,438#72 (1973)#86
1980s22,212#92 (1980)#134
1990s7,926#208 (1990)#390
2000s2,495#695 (2000)#991
2010s1,571#1,095 (2010)#1,483
2020s560#1,849 (2020)#2,058

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Melinda in 1966

girls
#102
3,382 births · 1 in 500 girls
boys
#2,627
10 births · 1 in 178,346 boys

Top girls' names in 1966

  1. #1Lisa56,918
  2. #2Kimberly32,232
  3. #3Mary28,890
  4. #4Michelle27,159
  5. #5Karen25,450
  6. #6Susan23,776
  7. #7Patricia20,112
  8. #8Tammy18,621
  9. #9Angela18,532
  10. #10Jennifer18,215
  11. #102Melinda3,382

Top boys' names in 1966

  1. #1Michael79,985
  2. #2David66,408
  3. #3James65,163
  4. #4John65,016
  5. #5Robert59,317
  6. #6William38,237
  7. #7Mark34,801
  8. #8Richard34,457
  9. #9Jeffrey30,200
  10. #10Thomas29,003
  11. #2,627Melinda10
More about 1966

girls

1,692,177 girls got a published name in 1966; 1 in 500 of them was named Melinda, which outranked 98.7% of the 7,624 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Melinda
  1. #99Cathy3,421
  2. #100Joyce3,399
  3. #101Holly3,398
  4. #102Melinda3,382
  5. #103Victoria3,362
  6. #104Kristine3,314
  7. #105Deanna3,298
Biggest movers since 1965
Risers
  1. ↑ 6,121Tabatha#6,539 → #418
  2. ↑ 1,469Tabitha#1,993 → #524
  3. ↑ 1,325Joell#2,247 → #922
  4. ↑ 1,047Tatia#1,715 → #668
  5. ↑ 969Nichole#1,829 → #860
Fallers
  1. ↓ 398Barb#815 → #1,213
  2. ↓ 310Jewell#952 → #1,262
  3. ↓ 288Roxie#944 → #1,232
  4. ↓ 284Aretha#818 → #1,102
  5. ↓ 280Kecia#392 → #672

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,783,461 boys got a published name in 1966; 1 in 178,346 of them was named Melinda, which outranked 42.1% of the 4,540 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 28.2% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Melinda
  1. #2,465Wellington11
  2. #2,465Winthrop11
  3. #2,465Wright11
  4. #2,627Melinda10
  5. #2,627Abdullah10
  6. #2,627Abran10
  7. #2,627Ames10
  8. #2,784Albie9
  9. #2,784Alcides9
  10. #2,784Alix9

Tied with 156 names at #2,627; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1965
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,207Jarrod#1,720 → #513
  2. ↑ 893Heath#1,254 → #361
  3. ↑ 467Illya#1,294 → #827
  4. ↑ 419Jarrett#1,294 → #875
  5. ↑ 399Reynold#1,360 → #961
Fallers
  1. ↓ 464Quint#986 → #1,450
  2. ↓ 303Dario#934 → #1,237
  3. ↓ 299Darran#1,000 → #1,299
  4. ↓ 281Artie#897 → #1,178
  5. ↓ 268Daryn#716 → #984

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1966 →