[ANSTHRLD] name question

[tmcd at panix.com]

On Sat, 4 Feb 2006, Hedwig von Luneborg <lochherald at gmail.com> wrote:
> I have a gentle that would like to try and register the name
> Melinda.

Margaret Jones, _Baby Names for Dummies_, lists Melinda on p. 207 in
the "invented names" section:

    MELINDA: (f) coined; this is a blend of LINDA (Chapter 10) perhaps
    with MELANIE (Chapter 7).  ... Malinda and Melinda may have been
    created independently, as the first peaks around the turn of the
    20th century while the sceond is most popular in mid century.
    Malinda Blalock served in the American Civil War alongside her
    hsuband, while disguised as a man. ...

It's not in Withycombe's _Dictionary of English Christian Names_.

So while I don't have evidence that it's post-period, I suspect it
strongly, and I would ask such a client whether she would be
interested in having a medieval name instead of re-using her legal
name.

Ddaned dde Lyngoln
-- 
"Me, I love the USA; I never miss an episode." -- Paul "Fruitbat" Sleigh
Tim McDaniel; Reply-To: tmcd at panix.com