Holding steady.
Popularity of Merinda since 1919
Babies named Merinda per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1967, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Merinda's real moment was 1974.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 |
| 1920s | 5 |
| 1930s | 0 |
| 1940s | 21 |
| 1950s | 75 |
| 1960s | 122 |
| 1970s | 149 |
| 1980s | 110 |
| 1990s | 69 |
| 2000s | 6 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Merinda is a rare girl's name that first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1919, but saw its highest usage in the 1970s. In 1974, its peak year, it was given to a small number of newborns, though it has never entered the national top 1,000. The name's trajectory has remained stable since then, with occasional use in various decades. Despite lacking an established meaning, Merinda fits a pattern of feminine names ending in 'inda,' and its sound echoes more familiar names like Melinda and Miranda. It remains a distinctive choice for parents seeking something uncommon.
Merinda appears to be a modern coinage, likely a blend or variant of names like Melinda (a combination of Melanie and Linda) or Miranda (from the Latin for 'worthy of admiration'). It gained some use in the United States in the mid-20th century, peaking in the 1970s.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Merry, Rinda, Mindy
Sibling names for Merinda
Names that share Merinda's style, for a brother or sister.
