Girl · Germanic (probably)
Linda
Say it: LIN-dah
Meaning
Probably a short form of Germanic names ending in lind ('soft' or 'linden shield'), later associated with Spanish and Portuguese linda 'pretty'.
Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.
The most popular girls' name in the United States around 1950.
Its wave through time
A fashion of the 1940s
In the United States
- 1,457,165 babies given this name since 1880
- At its height in 1948, about 1 in 18 girls
- 327 babies in 2020
Through the ages
Used by
The family of the name
Other spellings: Lynda
| German | Linda |
|---|---|
| Italian | Linda |
| Spanish | Linda |
Famous bearers
- Linda McCartney, photographer
- Linda Ronstadt, US singer
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
- National census records of the 19th and 20th centuries
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.