Melinda

Look up Melinda in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Etymology

The modern name Melinda is a combination of "Mel" with the suffix "-inda".^[1] "Mel" can be derived from names such as Melanie meaning "dark, black" in Greek, or from Melissa meaning "honeysuckle" in Greek. It is also associated with the Greek word meli, meaning "honey", and with Linda, meaning "gentle, soft, tender" in the Germanic languages.^[2]

Pronunciation

The typical English pronunciation of Melinda is /məˈlɪndə/. In Romanian, the stress is also on the second syllable: [meˈlinda]. In Hungarian however, the stress is on the first syllable.

Usage and popularity

The name Melinda is used in English, Romanian and Hungarian. In the United States, its popularity peaked in 1973 at No. 72. In 1990 it was in the top 1000 names in the US, and in 2002 it was in the top 100 names in Hungary. Since its peak the popularity of the name Melinda has been gradually declining in the United States, to last be seen on the top 1000 list in 2002 at No. 932.^[3] Variations in spelling include Melynda, Melyndah, Malinda, and Milinda.

József Katona Hungarian playwright and poet, used the name Melinda first in 1815 in his legendary historical tragedy: Bánk bán.

In Hungary, December 2 is Melinda Day.

Famous Melindas

• Melinda Clarke, American actress
• Melinda Culea, American actress
• Melinda Czink, Hungarian tennis player
• Melinda Doolittle, American singer and American Idol contestant
• Melinda Gates, wife of Bill Gates
• Melinda Messenger, English model & TV presenter
• Melinda Saxe, American magician
• Melinda Szik, Czink's Hungarian compatriot and weightlifter

The name Melinda in popular culture

In film and television

• Melinda and Melinda, American film, 2005
• Melinda Gordon, Jennifer Love Hewitt character from Ghost Whisperer
• Melinda from The Real World: Austin
• Melinda Warren and Melinda Halliwell, from TV show Charmed
• Melinda Warner, Medical Examiner on Law & Order: SVU
• Melinda McClure, Actor on famous tv show Sugar Land
• Melinda (TV series), a Philippine TV series aired on GMA Network starring Chin chin Guteirez.

In music

• "Sweet Melinda, the peasants call her the Goddess of Gloom" - Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues - Bob Dylan, 1965
• Melinda, one of the two main characters in the story of Swedish progressive death metal band Opeth's 1999 concept album Still Life, which includes the song "Face of Melinda"
• Melinda Doolittle, an American Idol Season 6 contestant
• "Sweet Dreams, Melinda" by Trey Anastasio on the album Shine
• "Sweet Melinda" by John Denver on the album John Denver
• "Come Away Melinda", written by Fred Hellerman and Fran Minkoff, and recorded by Harry Belafonte (on the album Streets I Have Walked), Judy Collins (Judy Collins 3), Theodore Bikel (A Folksinger's Choice), Tim Rose (Tim Rose), Bobbie Gentry (Local Gentry), Uriah Heep (Very 'Eavy... Very 'Umble), Velvett Fogg (Velvett Fogg), UFO (UFO 1), Kenny Rankin (Mind-Dusters), and The Big 3 (Live at the Recording Studio).
• "Me and My Melinda" by Kay Kyser
• "Remember Melinda" by TQ on the album They Never Saw Me Coming
• "Melinda was mine..." from Solitary Man by Neil Diamond
• "Face Of Melinda" by Mikael Åkerfeldt, from Opeth's album Still Life
• "Melinda" by Curved Air appears on the album Retrospective
• "Melinda" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

In literature

• Melinda, wife of Bánk in József Katona's legendary historical tragedy: Bánk bán.
• Melinda ("Lindy") in the book The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews
• Melinda, main character of the book Speak (1999) by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Melinda, porn star mentioned in the book Snow by Orhan Pamuk
• Melinda, the wife of Kyle Burnett in the book "My life" by William Peterson

In Crime

• Melinda Loveless tortured and burned Shanda Sharer to death with the help of other teenage girls.

References