Linda
Grew out of Germanic names ending in -linda, such as Belinda and Theodelinda, where the element lind referred to the linden tree and to shields made from its wood. Spanish and Italian speakers also read it as "pretty."
Linda in 2025
Linda was given to 294 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 1,717th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 11,277 babies born.
The history of Linda
Linda has been the single most popular name in the country 3 times, and reached its highest point in 1947, when 99,908 babies were given the name.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 1,458,899 babies have been named Linda. Half of them were born before 1952, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Linda by decade
| Decade | Babies named Linda | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 493 | 462 |
| 1890s | 872 | 444 |
| 1900s | 996 | 462 |
| 1910s | 2,395 | 529 |
| 1920s | 4,468 | 510 |
| 1930s | 29,482 | 33 |
| 1940s | 532,989 | 1 |
| 1950s | 565,533 | 3 |
| 1960s | 226,138 | 12 |
| 1970s | 46,124 | 79 |
| 1980s | 22,981 | 217 |
| 1990s | 12,866 | 364 |
| 2000s | 7,220 | 681 |
| 2010s | 4,386 | 1,117 |
| 2020s | 1,956 | 1,526 |
Where Linda is heading
Linda has fallen 31% over the past decade, from 429 babies in 2015 to 294 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1947 peak — Linda is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Linda
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Linda.