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I tend not to like names that begin with "me", like some pronunciations of Megan. I really do hugely enjoy Belinda, and I'm not sure why Melinda gets a thumbs-down from me, but it does. The first syllable isn't obtrusively me-ish ... but I don't enjoy Melanie either. Melinda ... perhaps it's a frillier expanded version of Linda, which isn't at all bad but doesn't need frills. I don't find it unwieldy, but I wouldn't use it either.

Melinda is kinda dated but I like it. It's quite spunky and approachable. Mindy is cute too but there's nothing wrong (or unwieldy) about Melinda.

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BTW, I used to have a close friend named Jennifer "Belinda" and I couldn't figure out why she choose to go by Belinda. I get it now, of course. I wouldn't mind being a Melinda or a Belinda (prefer Melinda, though).

The first time I heard this name was in school. While watching "The Miracle of Life". The class had a quiz based on Melinda's personal qualms about motherhood. So yeah.

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It IS a neat name, though; it can easily be used on a real person. I wouldn't use it, but if someone were to, Mindy is an okay, if unnecessary, nickname.

I like the name Melinda. I've only known one person with the name, but she spelled it Malinda. My guess is that they just didn't like the sound of it, but I think it has a nice ring to it. I don't think that Melinda needs a nickname. The Malinda I knew didn't go by a nickname, and I never thought she needed one. Most of the Melissas I've met have just gone by Melissa, and that never seemed too unwieldy to me either.

It's my aunt's middle name, Michelle Melinda. She's always hated it too for some reason.

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I think it's ok, I'm not a fan of the nn Mindy though.

It's kinda cute, but overall I much prefer Melissa or even Melanie. There's no reason for me why it would "need" a nickname, it's not particularly long or too "serious" for a small child.

I like it very much - it's pretty and melodious.

Aw, Melinda is on my pnl but I'm not too keen on Mindy or Mel. I don't mind Mel so much but often, it's short for Melissa/Melanie, etc. I think Mindy is cute as a sometimes nn but that's it.

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I don't think Melinda on its own demands a nickname but it's three syllables, so it's almost inevitable (I have a three syllable fn)

I like Melinda but slightly prefer Melina. I think Mindy is a very girly nickname, so If I were a Melinda, I'd probably ditch Mindy somewhere in my twenties and go by my full name from then on. I don't think Melinda demands a nickname.

This message was edited 4/17/2010, 11:27 PM

It's fine without nicknames. My friend's mom is named that and goes by it. It's nice. I almost put it on my list. It's just a little bit too prissy an impression for me tho.

I like Melinda. The Mel- sound is appealing to me; I wish it appeared in more names as I am not on the whole too impressed with the more popular Mels like Melanie and Melissa.

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I'm not huge on Mindy and I can't articulate why. I like Cindy, in a way. It sounds dated in a pearls and sweater sets kind of way that is quaint and appealing. But Mindy...eh. Not as nice. Melinda in and of itself sounds the least dowdy and dated of the -inda names on this site, I think; Florinda and Glorinda strike me as being especially white-haired.

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I grew up knowing a Melinda who only went by Melinda. In retrospect I appreciate it, though I don't think it particularly stood out to me in any sense at the time.

I'm not a huge fan of Melinda. I had a friend named Melinda whom we called Mel. She was a sweet girl so I have nothing but good personal experience with people named Melinda.

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I may use it as a character name, but not for one of my children. I think the dislike make come from the "linda" part of the name, which is tired from its popularity in the last half of the previous century.

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I highly dislike Mindy. Much prefer Mel.