Mende is a name of African origin, specifically from West Africa. It's derived from the Mandinka word 'men' meaning 'to bear'. The name was popularized globally by Mendeleyev, the Russian chemist who created the periodic table.
"Mende saw its popularity rise from 10 births in 1973 to a peak of 24 births in 1975, before declining to just 6 and 7 births respectively in the following years, with a total of 61 babies named Mende born between 1973 and 1977."