Linda (name)

Linda is a female given name, originally German, but widespread in the English-speaking world since the end of the nineteenth century.[1] The German name Linde was originally an abbreviated form of older names such as Dietlinde and Sieglinde.[2] 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.[2]

The name-element Linde is possibly derived from the same root as the linden tree, with reference to a shield made of that wood,[2] but may have become associated with Germanic lind meaning "soft, tender", the image of the tree being used to indicate a gentle personality. Alternatively, Linde may represent Old German Lindi or Linda, meaning a serpent.[1] 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).

Lynda is a common variant spelling of the name in English. 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 September 1 (Czech Rep.), June 20 (Sweden), April 15 (Finland/Germany), February 13 (Hungary, Poland), September 2 (Slovakia), September 4 (Poland) and August 21 (Latvia). Linda's name day in Switzerland is on the 19th of June.

Notable people

Fictional characters

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Withycombe, E. G. (1977). The Concise Dictionary of English Christian Names (third ed.). Oxford University Press.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Drosdowski, Günther (1974). Lexicon der Vornamen (second ed.). Duden.