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Linda (given name)

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Linda
An ancient word 'lind,' which stands for a shield made of linden tree
GenderFemale
Origin
Language(s)German
Other names
Related namesLynda, Lyndal, Linde, Dietlinde, Sieglinde

Linda is an English feminine given name that has been widespread in the English-speaking world since the end of the nineteenth century.

Etymology

The German name Linde was originally an abbreviated form of older names such as Dietlinde and Sieglinde. In the form Linda, it was used by the writer Jean Paul for a leading character in his four-volume novel Titan, published 1800–1803, and it became popular in German-speaking countries thereafter.

The name-element Linde is possibly derived from the same root as the linden tree, with reference to a shield made of that wood, but may have become associated with Germanic lind meaning "soft, tender", the image of the tree being used to indicate a gentle personality. Subsequent support for its appeal may have come from the Neo-Latin language (Italian, Spanish or Portuguese) word linda, which is the feminine form of lindo, meaning "beautiful, pretty, cute" (Spanish and Portuguese) and "clean" (Italian). It is also a common name in South Africa, Linda, meaning "Wait" (IsiZulu and IsiXhosa).

Among other names in use in English-speaking countries that include the -linda suffix are Melinda, Belinda, Celinda, and Rosalinda.

The name days for Linda are on February 13 (Hungary, Poland), April 15 (Finland, Germany), May 17 (United States), June 19 (Switzerland), June 20 (Sweden), June 25 (Estonia), August 21 (Latvia), September 1 (Czech Republic), September 2 (Slovakia), and September 4 (Poland).

In the Albanian version, Linda is a feminine name which means "birth" or "fertility". The masculine form is Lind. In South African terms the name Linda means "wait" and is not gender based; similar names are Lindiwe also meaning "waited for" but often just written as Lindi in short. Lindokuhle (waiting for something beautiful) and its short form Lindo are related South African-American names.

Usage

Linda was at the height of popularity in the Anglosphere in the middle of the 20th century, particularly in the 1950s. Increased use of the name has been attributed to the hit song “Linda” written by Jack Lawrence and recorded by different artists in 1946. The name has since declined in use. In recent years, Linda has been a name that is more common for the daughters of Chinese and South Korean immigrants to the United States.

Notable people

Fictional characters

References

  1. Withycombe, E. G. (1977). The Concise Dictionary of English Christian Names (third ed.). Oxford University Press.
  2. ^ Drosdowski, Günther (1974). Lexicon der Vornamen (second ed.). Duden.
  3. "National Linda Day | May 17".
  4. "Libri i emrave shqiptar". www.trepca.net. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  5. Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 170. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
  6. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/89516/what-trendiest-baby-name-american-history<ref§
  7. Evans, Cleveland Kent (March 2008) , "40A Note on US Immigrants' Choice of Baby Names", Names: A Journal of Onomastics, 56 (1): 39–40{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
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