Linda (given name) explained

Linda
Gender:Female
Language origin:German
Related Names:Lynda, Lyndal, Linde, Dietlinde, Sieglinde

Linda is a female given name, of German origin, 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. 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).

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. Lindokuhle (waiting for something beautiful) and its short form Lindo are related South African-American names.

Notable people

Fictional characters

References

  1. Book: Withycombe, E. G. . The Concise Dictionary of English Christian Names. Oxford University Press. 1977. third.
  2. Book: Drosdowski, Günther. Lexicon der Vornamen. second. 1974. Duden.
  3. https://www.holidaycalendar.io/holiday/national-linda-day#:~:text=National%20Linda%20Day%20is%20celebrated%20on%20May%2017th%20every%20year,will%20fall%20on%20a%20Friday.
  4. Web site: Libri i emrave shqiptar. www.trepca.net. 2018-06-05.

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