Linda

Linda derives from the Germanic element lind, meaning soft or tender, sometimes also associated with the linden tree. It originated as a short form of longer Germanic compound names ending in the element, such as Belinda and Melinda, but became widely used as an independent given name. It surged to extraordinary popularity across the English-speaking world and much of western Europe during the mid-twentieth century, ranking as one of the most common names for girls in the United States throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Related forms include Lynda, and it shares its root with the name Belinda.