Meaning: Its source is a Spanish expression meaning "Pretty."

Narrative: Some authorities believe this name derives from the Germanic name element that ends the names Ermalinde, Gerlinde, and others. However, they do not agree on the meaning of that element -- some citing ''tender'' or ''soft,'' others believing that it refers to the serpent as a Teutonic symbol of wisdom.

An alternate theory holds that it developed as a short form of the English names Belinda and Melinda.