Malinda
A feminine name of Old German origin meaning "tender strength".
Name Census estimates that about 14,809 living Americans carry the first name Malinda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Malinda today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Malinda births was 1969 (460 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Malinda. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
15K
~ 1 in 23,145 Americans
Peak year
1969
460 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,905
Tracked since 1880
Popularity
Malinda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Malinda from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 4,100 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Malinda by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Malinda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Malindas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 43 states and territories. Pennsylvania, Ohio, California recorded the most babies named Malinda, while South Dakota, New Mexico, Montana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 352 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Malinda
The name Malinda is thought to have originated from the Sanskrit language, with its roots tracing back to ancient India. It is derived from the combination of the words "malini," meaning "jasmine flower," and "daa," meaning "giver." The name thus translates to "one who bestows jasmine flowers," symbolizing purity, grace, and beauty.
During the Vedic period, which spanned from around 1500 BCE to 500 BCE, the name Malinda was associated with Hindu deities and mythological figures. It was often used to refer to celestial nymphs or apsaras, who were known for their enchanting beauty and divine dance. The name also finds mention in ancient Sanskrit texts, such as the Rigveda and the Mahabharata, further solidifying its origins in Indian culture.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Malinda can be found in the historical accounts of the Mauryan Empire, which ruled over a vast territory in ancient India from around 322 BCE to 185 BCE. Malinda was the name of a princess from the royal family, who was renowned for her exceptional beauty and intelligence.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Malinda. One such individual was Malinda Craven (1844-1888), an American author and poet who gained recognition for her works that explored themes of love, nature, and spirituality. Another prominent figure was Malinda Ann Prichard (1806-1886), an American educator and pioneer in the field of women's education, who established one of the earliest schools for girls in the United States.
In the realm of arts and culture, Malinda Kathleen Reese (1865-1924) was a renowned American opera singer who performed with various prestigious companies, including the Metropolitan Opera. Malinda Anne Foote (1867-1940), on the other hand, was a Canadian painter and illustrator whose works captured the beauty of rural landscapes and everyday life.
Malinda Blalock (1924-2016) was a notable figure in the field of civil rights, known for her activism and efforts to promote equality and justice for African Americans. She played a pivotal role in the desegregation of public schools in her hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas, and worked tirelessly to combat racial discrimination.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Malinda
People
Malinda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Malinda as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Malinda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Malinda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 14,809 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Malinda going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 23,145 US residents.
Is Malinda a common name?
We classify Malinda as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 21,394 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Malinda most popular?
The single biggest year for Malinda was 1969, when 460 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Malinda is about 50 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Malinda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Malinda in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.