Malinda

Malinda is an English name that arose as a variant of Melinda, itself an 18th-century coinage likely formed by blending or adapting Melissa or similar Greek-rooted mel- names (meaning honey) with the popular -linda suffix. The -linda element may derive from Germanic linda, meaning soft or tender, or may simply reflect a fashionable name-ending of the period. Malinda enjoyed use particularly in the United States during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Related forms include Melinda, Belinda, and Lucinda.