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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.[1]

Etymology

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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. 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),[3] June 19 (Switzerland), June 20 (Sweden), June 25 (Estonia), August 21 (Latvia), September 1 (Czech Republic), September 2 (Slovakia), and September 4 (Poland)[citation needed].

In the Albanian version, Linda is a feminine name which means "birth" or "fertility". The masculine form is Lind.[4] 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.[clarification needed] Lindokuhle (waiting for something beautiful) and its short form Lindo are related South African-American names.

Usage

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Linda was at the height of popularity in the Anglosphere in the middle of the 20th century, particularly in the 1950s.[5] 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.[6]

Notable people

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Fictional characters

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References

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  1. ^ Withycombe, E. G. (1977). The Concise Dictionary of English Christian Names (third ed.). Oxford University Press.
  2. ^ a b c 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. ^ Evans, Cleveland Kent (March 2008) [3-1], "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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