Merinda
Sweet, beloved; a combination of the names Mary and Linda.
Name Census estimates that about 475 living Americans carry the first name Merinda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Merinda today is around 51 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Merinda births was 1967 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Merinda. 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
475
~ 1 in 721,588 Americans
Peak year
1967
21 babies that year
Average age
51
years old
2006 SSA rank
#16,468
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Merinda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Merinda from the 1910s through to the 2000s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 149 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
Merinda 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 Merinda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Merinda
The name Merinda is believed to have its origins in the ancient Latin language, derived from the root word "merenda," which means a light afternoon snack or refreshment. This etymology suggests that the name may have initially been associated with nourishment, sustenance, or a moment of respite.
During the Roman Empire, the concept of merenda was an integral part of daily life, providing a break from the day's labors and a chance to replenish one's energy. It is possible that the name Merinda emerged as a way to honor this tradition or to bestow upon a child the qualities of nourishment and rejuvenation.
While the name's precise origins are obscure, some scholars trace its earliest recorded use to the 5th century AD, when it appeared in various Latin texts and records. However, it was not until the Middle Ages that the name gained more widespread recognition and popularity.
One of the earliest notable bearers of the name Merinda was a 9th-century Benedictine abbess from the Frankish Empire, known for her piety and leadership of a prominent monastery. Another historical figure named Merinda was a 12th-century noblewoman from the Kingdom of Aragon, renowned for her patronage of the arts and her influence in the royal court.
In the Renaissance period, the name Merinda experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly in Italy and other regions influenced by the Renaissance humanism movement. One notable figure from this era was Merinda Della Rovere, a 15th-century Italian scholar and patron of the arts, who played a crucial role in the preservation and dissemination of classical literature and philosophy.
The name also found its way into the world of literature, with Merinda appearing as a character in several works of fiction, including the 17th-century play "The Rover" by Aphra Behn, one of the first professional female writers in English literature.
Another noteworthy bearer of the name was Merinda Harrington, an 18th-century English botanist and naturalist, who made significant contributions to the study of plant life and the classification of species.
In the 19th century, Merinda Collett was a pioneering American educator and suffragist, who fought tirelessly for women's rights and access to education, leaving a lasting legacy in the pursuit of equality and empowerment.
People
Merinda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Merinda 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
Merinda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Merinda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 475 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Merinda 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 721,588 US residents.
Is Merinda a common name?
We classify Merinda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 562 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Merinda most popular?
The single biggest year for Merinda was 1967, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Merinda is about 51 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Merinda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Merinda 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.