Given name & surname
Lynda
“one who is soft and beauti-”
Lynda is a variant of Linda. One Spanish interpretation is “one who is soft and beauti-.” Its derivation is not certain.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Lynda is a variant of Linda. One Spanish interpretation is “one who is soft and beauti-.” Its derivation is not certain.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Lynda is a variant of Linda. A possible origin is Spanish, although the derivation remains uncertain.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1882. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Lynda is a variant of Linda. The history of Linda gives this family its wider story. Linda was in use during the 19th century.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Lynda through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 78,098
- 119 boys · 77,979 girls
- Most popular year
- 1947
- 4,850 babies
- 2025
- 30
- #4,619 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −25%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 30 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 4,619 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 24.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 4,840 in 1947. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 64,728 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 10
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Milaequivalent
- Lynaequivalent
- Ludmilaequivalent
- Erlindaequivalent
- Ludmillaequivalent
- Lyudmilaequivalent
- Mirlindaequivalent
- Ljudmilaequivalent
Show 2 moreShow fewer
People named Lynda
- Lynda CarterAmerican actress, singer, and beauty pageant titleholderborn 1951
- Lynda BoydCanadian actressborn 1965
- Lynda Day GeorgeAmerican actressborn 1944
- Lynda LemayCanadian singerborn 1966
- Lynda BenglisAmerican video artist, photographer, and sculptor (born 1941)
- Lynda BellinghamBritish actress (1948-2014)
- Lynda La PlanteEnglish writer and actressborn 1943
- Lynda Bird Johnson RobbAmerican businesswoman and philanthropist (born 1944)
- Lynda CornetDutch rowerborn 1962
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Lynda, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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