Linda is an English feminine

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...

that has been widespread in the

English-speaking world The English-speaking world comprises the 88 countries and territories in which English language, English is an official, administrative, or cultural language. In the early 2000s, between one and two billion people spoke English, making it the ...

since the end of the nineteenth century.

Etymology

The German name ''Linde'' was originally an abbreviated form of older names such as ''Dietlinde'' and ''Sieglinde''. In the form ''Linda,'' it was used by the writer

Jean Paul Jean Paul (; born Johann Paul Friedrich Richter, 21 March 1763 – 14 November 1825) was a German Romanticism, German Romantic writer, best known for his humorous novels and stories. Life and work Jean Paul was born at Wunsiedel, in the Ficht ...

for a leading character in his four-volume novel ''

Titan Titan most often refers to: * Titan (moon), the largest moon of Saturn * Titans, a race of deities in Greek mythology Titan or Titans may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional entities Fictional locations * Titan in fiction, fictiona ...

'', published 1800–1803, and it became popular in German-speaking countries thereafter. The name-element ''Linde'' is possibly derived from the same root as the linden tree, with reference to a shield made of that wood, 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 Neo-LatinSidwell, Keith ''Classical Latin-Medieval Latin-Neo Latin'' in ; others, throughout. (also known as New Latin and Modern Latin) is the style of written Latin used in original literary, scholarly, and scientific works, first in Italy d ...

language (

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

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 South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, Linda, meaning "Wait" (

IsiZulu Zulu ( ), or isiZulu as an endonym, is a Southern Bantu language of the Nguni branch spoken in, and indigenous to, Southern Africa. Nguni dialects are regional or social varieties of the Nguni language, distinguished by vocabulary, pronunciatio ...

and

IsiXhosa Xhosa ( , ), formerly spelled ''Xosa'' and also known by its local name ''isiXhosa'', is a Bantu language, indigenous to Southern Africa and one of the official languages of South Africa and Zimbabwe. Xhosa is spoken as a first language ...

). Among other names in use in English-speaking countries that include the -linda suffix are

Melinda Melinda is a feminine given name. Etymology The modern name ''Melinda'' is a combination of "Mel" with the suffix "-inda". "Mel" can be derived from names such as Melanie meaning "dark, black" in Greek, or from Melina meaning "sweet like honey ...

, Belinda, Celinda, and Rosalinda. The

name day In Christianity, a name day is a tradition in many countries of Europe and the Americas, as well as Christian communities elsewhere. It consists of celebrating a day of the year that is associated with one's baptismal name, which is normatively t ...

s for Linda are on February 13 (

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

), April 15 (

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

), May 17 (

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

), June 19 (

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

), June 20 (

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

), June 25 (

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

), August 21 (

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

), September 1 (

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

), September 2 (

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

), and September 4 (Poland). In the

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

version, ''Linda'' is a feminine name which means "birth" or "fertility". The masculine form is ''Lind''. 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 LINDO (Linear, Interactive, and Discrete Optimizer) is a software package for linear programming, integer programming, nonlinear programming, stochastic programming and global optimization. LINGO is a mathematical modeling language used as par ...

are related South African-American names.

Usage

Linda was at the height of popularity in the

Anglosphere The Anglosphere, also known as the Anglo-American world, is a Western-led sphere of influence among the Anglophone countries. The core group of this sphere of influence comprises five developed countries that maintain close social, cultura ...

in the middle of the 20th century, particularly in the 1950s. Increased use of the name has been attributed to the hit song “

Linda Linda is an English feminine given name, derived from the Spanish word , meaning "pretty." Linda may also refer to: Names * Linda (given name), a female given name (including a list of people and fictional characters so named) * Linda (singer) ...

” written by

Jack Lawrence Jack Lawrence may refer to: * Jack Lawrence (songwriter) (1912–2009), American songwriter * Jack Lawrence (artist) (born 1975), British comic book artist and animator * Jack Lawrence (bluegrass) (born 1953), American bluegrass guitarist * Jack Law ...

and recorded by different artists in 1946. 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.

Notable people

Linda Barker Linda Barker (born 26 October 1961) is an English interior designer and television presenter. Education Born in Shelf, West Yorkshire, Shelf, on the outskirts of Halifax, West Yorkshire, Halifax in the West Riding of Yorkshire, Barker was educ ...

, British television presenter and interior designer * Linda L. M. Bennett, American political scientist *

Linda Blair Linda Denise Blair (born January 22, 1959) is an American actress and activist. Her portrayal of Regan MacNeil in the horror film ''The Exorcist'' (1973) established her in popular culture and as a scream queen, earning her a Golden Globe Award ...

, American actress * Linda Bolder, Israeli-Dutch Olympic judoka *

Linda Bove Linda Bove is a Deaf American actress, her most notable role being a fictionalized version of herself in the PBS children's series ''Sesame Street'' from 1971 to 2002. Bove was the first Deaf actress to be a member of the program's recurring c ...

, American actress * Linda M. Boxer, American hematologist and academic administrator * Linda Brasil (born 1973), Brazilian politician *

Linda Burney Linda Jean Burney (born 25 April 1957) is an Australian Labor Party (ALP) politician who was the member of Parliament (MP) for the division of Barton from 2016 to 2025. She was the minister for Indigenous Australians from 2022 to July 2024. S ...

(born 1957), Australian politician *

Linda Caicedo Linda Lizeth Caicedo Alegría (born 25 February 2005) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a Forward (football), forward for Liga F club Real Madrid Femenino, Real Madrid and the Colombia women's national football team, Colombia ...

(born 2005), Colombian footballer * Linda Gist Calvin, American businesswoman and 41st President General of the

Daughters of the American Revolution The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (often abbreviated as DAR or NSDAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a patriot of the American Revolutionary War. A non-p ...

Linda Carter Brinson Linda Sue Carter Brinson (born June 25, 1948) is an American writer, journalist, and editor. She was the first woman assistant national editor at ''The Baltimore Sun'' and the first woman editorial page editor at the ''Winston-Salem Journal''. ...

, American journalist and writer *

Linda Lee Cadwell Linda Claire Emery Lee Cadwell (née Emery; born March 21, 1945) is a retired American teacher and writer, the widow of martial artist and actor Bruce Lee (19401973), and the mother of actor Brandon Lee (19651993) and actress Shannon Lee (born 19 ...

, American teacher, widow of martial artist

Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was an American-born Hong Kong martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy which was formed from ...

Linda Cardellini Linda Edna Cardellini (born June 25, 1975) is an American actress. In television, she is known for her starring roles in the teen drama ''Freaks and Geeks'' (1999–2000), the medical drama ''ER (TV series), ER'' (2003–2009), and the thriller ...

, American actress * Linda S. Carter, American politician *

Linda Chung Linda Chung Ka-yan (; born on 9 April 1984) is a Hong Kong-Canadian actress, singer and songwriter. She signed a long-term contract with TVB in 2004 after winning the Miss Chinese International Pageant. Chung ended her contract with TVB in ea ...

, Chinese-Canadian actress * Linda Clement, Scottish field hockey player *

Linda Coffee Linda Nellene Coffee (born December 25, 1942) : profile of Coffee is an American lawyer living in Dallas, Texas. Coffee is best known, along with Sarah Weddington, for arguing the precedent-setting United States Supreme Court case '' Roe v. Wade ...

, American lawyer, known for representing Jane Roe in ''

Roe v. Wade ''Roe v. Wade'', 410 U.S. 113 (1973),. was a List of landmark court decisions in the United States, landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protected the right to have an ...

'' *

Linda Cohn Linda Cohn (born November 10, 1959) is an American sportscaster. She has anchored ESPN's ''SportsCenter'' since 1992. Early life and education Cohn grew up in a Jewish family on Long Island, New York (state), New York. As a child, she would w ...

, American sportscaster. * Linda Consolante, Canadian football (soccer) defender * Linda Cook (1962–1986), English murder victim *

Linda Cristal Marta Victoria Moya Peggo Burges (24 February 1931 – 27 June 2020), known professionally as Linda Cristal (), was an Argentine–American actress. She appeared in a number of Western films during the 1950s, before winning a Golden Globe Awar ...

, Argentinian actress *

Linda Dano Linda Dano (born Linda Rae Wildermuth; May 12, 1943, Long Beach, California) is an American actress and television host. She began her career appearing in film and prime time television before she was cast as Rae Cummings on the ABC daytime soap ...

, American actress, businesswoman, writer *

Linda Darnell Linda Darnell (born Monetta Eloyse Darnell; October 16, 1923 – April 10, 1965) was an American actress. Darnell progressed from modelling as a child to acting in theatre and film. At the encouragement of her mother, she made her first film in ...

, American actress * Linda de Mol, Dutch entertainer * Linda Dunikoski, American lawyer and prosecutor *

Linda Eder Linda Eder (; born February 3, 1961) is an American singer and actress. She originated the role of Lucy Harris in the Broadway musical '' Jekyll & Hyde'', for which she was nominated for the Drama Desk Award. Biography Eder was born in Tucso ...

, American Broadway singer and actress *

Linda Evans Linda Evans (born Linda Evenstad; November 18, 1942) is a retired American actress known primarily for her roles on television. In the 1960s, she played Audra Barkley, the daughter of Victoria Barkley (played by Barbara Stanwyck), in the Wes ...

, American actress *

Linda Evangelista Linda Evangelista (born May 10, 1965) is a Canadian fashion model. She is regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential models of all time, and has been featured on over 700 magazine covers. Evangelista is primarily known for being t ...

, Canadian supermodel * Linda Fairstein (born 1947), American author and former prosecutor * Linda Fiorentino, Italian-American actress * Linda Gass, American environmental activist and artist * Linda Gillard, British writer * Linda Granfield (born 1950), American-Canadian writer * Linda Grant (born 1951), British writer *

Linda Grant DePauw Linda Grant DePauw (born January 19, 1940) is an American modern historian, retired university teacher, non-fiction author and journal editor, who is a pioneer in women's research in the United States. She received the Beveridge Award in 1964, wa ...

(born 1940), American historian and author *

Linda Gray Linda Ann Gray (born September 12, 1940) is an American actress, best known for her role as Sue Ellen Ewing, the long-suffering wife of Larry Hagman's character J.R. Ewing on the CBS television drama series ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' (1978� ...

, American actress *

Linda Haglund Linda Haglund (15 June 1956 – 21 November 2015) was a Swedish Olympic sprinter. Running career Haglund became a member of Hanvikens SK, a track and field club located just south of Stockholm, at the age of 13. She showed great promise as a ...

, Swedish short-distance runner * Linda M. Haines (born 1944), English and South African statistician * Linda Halimi, Albanian singer and songwriter *

Linda Hamilton Linda Carroll Hamilton (born September 26, 1956) is an American actress. Known for portraying tough, resilient characters, she made her film debut in 1979 before achieving fame with her starring role as Sarah Connor (Terminator), Sarah Connor i ...

, American actress *

Linda Hargreaves Linda Hargreaves is a British actress who has appeared on both stage and screen. She made her television debut in the BBC soap opera ''Doctors'' and has since returned to the soap on three separate occasions in different roles, most recently in ...

, British actress *

Linda Henry Linda Valiris (''née'' Henry; born 24 August 1959) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Yvonne Atkins in the ITV prison drama series '' Bad Girls'' and Shirley Carter in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. She had previously ...

(born 1959), British actress * Linda Hesse (born 1987), German singer * Linda Hogan (ethicist) (born 1964), Irish ethicist, theologian and academic *

Linda Hogan (writer) Linda K. Hogan (née Henderson, born July 16, 1947) is an American poet, storyteller, academic, playwright, novelist, environmentalist and writer of short stories., p. 167. She previously served as the Chickasaw Nation's writer in residence. Hog ...

(born 1947), Chickasaw writer and environmentalist * Linda Hogan (TV personality), American television personality, ex-wife of professional wrestler

Hulk Hogan Terry Gene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a brand ambassador. Known for his flamboyance and massive physiq ...

Linda Hunt Linda Hunt (born Lydia Susanna Hunt; April 2, 1945) is an American actress. She made her film debut playing Mrs. Oxheart in Popeye (film), ''Popeye'' (1980). Her portrayal of the male character Billy Kwan in ''The Year of Living Dangerously (fil ...

(born 1945), American actress * Linda King, American sculptor, playwright and poet * Linda King (bowls), Hong Kong international lawn and indoor bowler * Linda King (virologist), virologist in the United Kingdom * Linda Knowles, British high jumper * Linda Kuk, Hong Kong film producer * Linda Lai Chiu-han, Hong Kong-based academic, artist, curator and art historian * Linda Lampenius, Finnish violinist * Linda Lanzillotta (born 1948), Italian politician *

Linda Larkin Linda Larkin (born March 20, 1970) is an American voice actress, best known for her role as the speaking voice of Princess Jasmine in Disney's 1992 animated feature film ''Aladdin''. Career Larkin began her career in 1990, with the film '' Zap ...

, American actress *

Linda Lavin Linda Lavin (; October 15, 1937 – December 29, 2024) was an American actress and singer. Known for her roles on stage and screen, she received several awards including three Drama Desk Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two Obie Awards, and a T ...

, American actress *

Linda Lawton Linda Lawton, Ph.D., FRSE is a Scottish researcher in microcystins and toxins produced by cyanobacteria and has researched into the impact of the so-called 'blue-green algae" from drinking water supply. Her detection method is now used worldwi ...

, British researcher in cyanobacteria * Linda Liao, Taiwanese celebrity *

Linda Lingle Linda Lingle (; June 4, 1953) is an American politician who served as the sixth governor of Hawaii from 2002 to 2010. She was the first Republican elected governor of Hawaii since 1959, and was the state's first female and first Jewish govern ...

, governor of Hawaii *

Linda Lovelace Linda Lovelace (born Linda Susan Boreman; January 10, 1949 – April 22, 2002) was an American pornographic actress who became famous for her performance in the 1972 hardcore film '' Deep Throat'', which was an enormous success. She later all ...

, American former pornographic actress, later anti-pornography activist * Linda Lucero, American artist *

Linda Lusardi Linda Frances Elide Lusardi (born 18 September 1958) is an English actress, television presenter and former glamour model. Early life Lusardi was born in Wood Green, London, to Lilian (née Glassman; 1932–2023) and Nello Lusardi (1930–201 ...

(born 1958), British actress, television presenter *

Linda Mackenzie Linda June Mackenzie, OAM (born 14 December 1983) is an Australian freestyle swimmer. She preferred the longer 200-, 400-, and 800-metre events and won the Australian 400-metre national title five years in a row (2004–2008). She was part o ...

(born 1983), Australian freestyle swimmer * Linda Mazri (born 2001), Algerian badminton player *

Linda McCartney Linda Louise, Lady McCartney ( Eastman; September 24, 1941 – April 17, 1998) was an American photographer, musician, cookbook author, and activist. She was the keyboardist and harmony vocalist in the band Paul McCartney and Wings, Wings tha ...

(1941–1998), American photographer, first wife of

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

* Linda McGill (born 1945), Australian former competition swimmer * Linda McLean (born 1957), Canadian musician *

Linda McMahon Linda Marie McMahon ( ; ; born October 4, 1948) is an American politician, business executive, and former professional wrestling promoter who has served as the 13th United States Secretary of Education, United States secretary of education since ...

(born 1948), United States Secretary of Education *

Linda Nolan Linda Mary Hudson (; 23 February 1959 – 15 January 2025) was an Irish singer, actress, and television personality. After moving with her family to Blackpool at the age of three in 1962, she attained fame as a member of the girl group the Nol ...

(born 1959), Irish singer *

Linda Ohama Linda Ohama is a Canadian artist and filmmaker. She is most noted for her 2001 film '' Obāchan's Garden.'' Career Ohama's first feature-length documentary was '' Obāchan's Garden'', released in 2001''.'' The film centred on Ohama's grandmother ...

, Canadian artist and filmmaker * Linda Ojastu (1936–2006), Estonian sprinter, hurdler and coach * Linda Olofsson, Swedish freestyle swimmer * Linda Papadopoulos, English-Greek psychologist * Linda Pearson (born 1964), Scottish sport shooter * Linda Patricia Pérez López (born 1998), Venezuelan Paralympic athlete who competes in sprinting events *

Linda Perry Linda Perry (born April 15, 1965) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. She is the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, including their 1993 hit " What's Up?". She has since founded two record label ...

, American singer-songwriter * Linda Pétursdóttir, Icelandic businesswoman, Miss World 1988 * Linda Porter (actress) (1933–2019), American actress *

Linda Purl Linda Purl (born September 2, 1955) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ashley Pfister (Fonzie's girlfriend) on ''Happy Days'' (she originally played Gloria as Richie’s date in season 2 episodes 1, 2, 6 and 7), Sheila Munroe in ...

, American actress * Linda Reaves (1949–1985), American murder victim * Linda Reichl (born 1942), American physicist *

Linda Reid Linda Reid (born June 27, 1959) is a Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of British Columbia, representing Richmond East from 1991 to 2017, and Richmond South Centre from 2017 to 2020. A caucus membe ...

(born 1959), Canadian politician and former MLA *

Linda Robson Linda Patricia Mary Robson Dunford (' Robson; born 13 March 1958) is an English actress and television presenter. She is best known for playing Tracey Stubbs in the sitcom '' Birds of a Feather'' (1989–1998, 2014–2020), and her appearances ...

(born 1958), English actress *

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is an American singer who has performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin music. Ronstadt has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three A ...

(born 1946), American singer * Linda Schrenko, American politician from the state of Georgia * Linda Seppänen, Swedish singer * Linda Sheskey, American middle distance runner * Linda J. Silberman, American lawyer *

Linda Smith (disambiguation) Linda Smith may refer to: * Linda Smith (comedian) (1958–2006), English radio comedy performer, stand-up comic and writer * Linda Smith (American politician) (born 1950), American congresswoman, 1995–1999 * Linda Smith (novelist) (1949–2007), ...

, several people *

Linda Smith (comedian) Linda Helen Smith (29 January 1958 – 27 February 2006) was an English comedian and comedy writer. She appeared regularly on Radio 4 panel games, and was voted "Wittiest Living Person" by listeners in 2002. From 2004 to 2006 she was head of th ...

(1958–2006), English radio comedy performer, stand-up comic and writer *

Linda Smith (American politician) Linda Ann Smith (née Simpson; born July 16, 1950) is a member of the Republican Party who represented Washington's from 1995 to 1999 and was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1998, losing to incumbent Democrat Patty M ...

(born 1950), American congresswoman, 1995–1999 *

Linda Smith (novelist) Linda Smith (1949–2007) was a Canadian writer. Biography Born in Lethbridge, Alberta, on April 12, 1949, Linda grew up in Calgary, Alberta. She obtained a B.A. with Distinction from the University of Calgary in 1969, and then a Bachelor of Lib ...

(1949–2007), Canadian writer of children's fiction * Linda B. Smith (active since 1993), American psychology professor *

Linda Smith (dancer) Virginia Tanner (April 25, 1915 – May 20, 1979) was an American dance instructor and founder of the University of Utah Children's Dance Theatre. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, she began her formal dance training at the University of Utah. Sh ...

, American artistic director in Utah Repertory Dance Theatre *

Linda Catlin Smith Linda Catlin Smith (born 1957 in New York City) is a composer based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2005 she became the second woman to win the Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music. Smith studied composition and theory with Allen Shawn in Ne ...

(born 1957), American composer *

Linda Ellerbee Linda Ellerbee (born Linda Jane Smith; August 15, 1944) is an American journalist, anchor, producer, reporter, author, speaker and commentator, noted as longtime Washington correspondent for NBC News and host of '' NBC News Overnight''. She is ...

(born 1944), a.k.a. Linda Smith, American journalist *

Linda Smith Dyer Linda Smith Dyer (August 6, 1948 – September 27, 2001) was an American lawyer, lobbyist, and women's rights activist. After a two-decade legal career, she entered public service as deputy commissioner of the Maine Department of Agriculture. She ...

(1946–2001), American women's rights activist *

Linda Tuhiwai Smith Linda Tuhiwai Te Rina Smith (née Mead; born 1950), previously a professor of indigenous education at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand, is now a distinguished professor at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi. Smith's academic ...

, New Zealand education academic * Linda Smith, American home recording artist *

Linda Smith (bowls) Linda Smith is a former Hong Kong international lawn bowler. Bowls career Smith has represented Hong Kong at the Commonwealth Games, in the pairs event at the 1994 Commonwealth Games. She won a triples gold medal at the 1991 Asia Pacific Bowls ...

, Hong Kong international lawn bowler * Linda Sobeh (born 1968), Palestinian diplomat * Linda Staudt, Canadian long-distance runner * Linda Sundblad (born 1981), Swedish singer * Linda Teuteberg (born 1981), German politician *

Linda Thompson (singer) Linda Thompson (''née'' Pettifer, born 23 August 1947) is an English singer-songwriter. Thompson is one of the most recognised names and voices in the British folk rock movement of the 1970s and 1980s, in collaboration with fellow British fo ...

(born 1947), British folk singer * Linda G. Thompson (born 1948), member of the German band

Silver Convention Silver Convention were a German Euro disco recording act of the 1970s. The group was originally named Silver Bird Convention or Silver Bird. History The group was initiated in Munich, then West Germany, by producers and songwriters Michael Kun ...

, and also a solo performer *

Linda Thompson (actress) Linda Diane Thompson (born May 23, 1950) is an American songwriter, former actress and beauty pageant winner. Thompson began her acting career as a " Hee Haw Honey" on the American television variety show ''Hee Haw''. She was also a girlfrien ...

(born 1950), American actress and songwriter *

Linda Thompson (attorney) Linda Thompson (April 26, 1953 – May 10, 2009), born Linda Diane Capps, was an American lawyer and militia movement supporter. In 1993, she quit her job as a lawyer in Indianapolis, Indiana, to start the American Justice Federation, a no ...

(1953–2009), Indiana attorney known for her conspiracy theories surrounding Waco siege and Bill Clinton * Linda D. Thompson (born c. 1961), former mayor of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania *

Linda Thompson (artistic director) Linda Joy Thompson is an Australian operatic soprano, producer and stage director. Thompson performed 25 principal operatic roles, including two world premieres at the Sydney Opera House with the Australian Opera. Thompson was head of Classical ...

, Australian operatic soprano, producer and stage director *

Linda Chavez-Thompson Linda Chavez-Thompson (born August 3, 1944)Franklin, "Labor's Message Heard in Clear New Voice," ''Chicago Tribune,'' October 30, 1995. is a second-generation Mexican-AmericanKarsko, "Success of Unions, Middle Class Are Linked, Labor Advocate Say ...

(born 1944), executive vice-president of the AFL-CIO *

Linda Chatman Thomsen Linda Chatman Thomsen (born April 1, 1954) is an American attorney who was director of the Division of Enforcement for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from 2005 until early 2009. Since arriving at the SEC in 1995, she worked under fo ...

, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission official *

Linda Tripp Linda Rose Tripp (née Carotenuto; November 24, 1949 – April 8, 2020) was an American civil servant who played a prominent role in the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal of 1998. Tripp's action in illegally and secretly recording Monica Lewinsky's co ...

, Pentagon employee involved in the Lewinsky scandal of US President Bill Clinton * Linda Voortman, Dutch politician *

Linda Wagenmakers Linda Wagenmakers (born 30 November 1975, Arnhem) is a Dutch singer and voice actress. She started her career at 21 playing Kim in the Dutch version of the musical ''Miss Saigon''. She played in the RTL 4 drama series ''Westenwind'', for which sh ...

(born 1975), Dutch singer * Linda Walsh (born 1958), British scientist at the University of Zurich who specializes in radiation epidemiology * Linda Winikow (1940–2008), New York state senator *

Linda Yaccarino Linda Yaccarino (born December 21, 1963) is an American media proprietor serving since June 2023 as chief executive officer (CEO) of X Corp., X Corp. She previously served as chairwoman of global advertising & partnerships at NBCUniversal from 2 ...

(born 1962), American media executive, CEO of Twitter *

Linda Zervakis Linda Zervakis (; born 25 July 1975 in Hamburg) is a German-Greek television presenter as well as newsreader and journalist. She was the first '' Tagesschau'' presenter with an immigrant background. Early life and education Zervakis is the dau ...

(born 1975), German-Greek television presenter * Linda Zhang, American automotive engineer *

Linda Züblin Linda Züblin (born 21 March 1986) is a Swiss heptathlete, who competed for her country at the 2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Beijing 2008 (), were ...

, Swiss heptathlete

Fictional characters

* Linda, a character in the 1988 American science fiction movie ''

Mac and Me ''Mac and Me'' is a 1988 American science fiction film directed by Stewart Raffill, and co-written with Steve Feke. Starring Christine Ebersole, Jonathan Ward, and Tina Caspary alongside Lauren Stanley and Jade Calegory, it centers on a "Myster ...

'' * Linda, a character in the 2009 American comedy film ''

The Hangover ''The Hangover'' is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips, and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. It is the first installment in ''The Hangover'' trilogy. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, H ...

'' *

, a character on the children's television program ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...

'' *

, a character in

Estonian mythology Estonian mythology is a complex of myths belonging to the Estonian folk heritage and literary mythology. Information about the pre-Christian and medieval Estonian mythology is scattered in historical chronicles, travellers' accounts and in eccle ...

* Linda Belcher, wife of Bob Belcher in the animated comedy ''

Bob's Burgers ''Bob's Burgers'' is an American animated sitcom created by Loren Bouchard for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is centered on the Belcher family—parents Bob Belcher, Bob and Linda Belcher, Linda and their three children, Tina Belcher, Tina, G ...

'' *

Supergirl (Linda Danvers) Linda Danvers, also known as Supergirl, is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Peter David and artist Gary Frank, she debuted in ''Supergirl'' (vol. 4) #1 (September 1996). She is not to ...

, a DC Comics superhero * Linda Flynn-Fletcher, the mother of Phineas in the Disney Channel animated series ''

Phineas and Ferb ''Phineas and Ferb'' is an American animated series, animated Musical film, musical-television comedy, comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series originally aired on t ...

'' * Linda Gergenblatt, a character in the 2012 American comedy film ''Wanderlust'' * Linda Gunderson, the protagonist of the 2011 animated film ''Rio'' * Linda Melinda, the main protagonist in video game '' DreadOut'' * Linda Mitchell, mother of two in the science fiction comedy film '' The Mitchells vs. the Machines'' * Linda Radlett, a character in ''

The Pursuit of Love ''The Pursuit of Love'' is a novel by Nancy Mitford, first published in 1945. It is the first in a trilogy about an upper-class English family in the interwar period focusing on the romantic life of Linda Radlett, as narrated by her cousin, Fa ...

'' by

Nancy Mitford Nancy Freeman-Mitford (28 November 1904 – 30 June 1973) was an English novelist, biographer, and journalist. The eldest of the Mitford family#Mitford sisters, Mitford sisters, she was regarded as one of the "bright young things" on the ...

* Linda Twist, a character in the Australian television series ''

Round the Twist ''Round the Twist'' is an Australian children's comedy drama television series which follows the supernatural adventures of the Twist family, who leave their conventional residence to live in a lighthouse, in the fictional coastal town of Port ...

'' * Linda Woodward, a character in ''

The Three Clerks ''The Three Clerks'' (1857) is a novel by Anthony Trollope, set in the lower reaches of the Civil Service. It draws on Trollope's own experiences as a junior clerk in the General Post Office, and has been called the most autobiographical of Trol ...

'' by

Anthony Trollope Anthony Trollope ( ; 24 April 1815 – 6 December 1882) was an English novelist and civil servant of the Victorian era. Among the best-known of his 47 novels are two series of six novels each collectively known as the ''Chronicles of Barsetshire ...

* Linda Monroe, the secondary antagonist of Black Friday (musical) by StarKid * Lynda Van Der Klok, a character in ''Halloween'', played by

P. J. Soles Pamela Jayne Soles (née Hardon; born July 17, 1950) is a retired American actress. She made her film debut in 1976 as Norma Watson in Brian De Palma's ''Carrie (1976 film), Carrie'' (1976) before portraying List of Halloween (franchise) charact ...

* Linda B. the female protagonist in ''A Girl in Exile'' by

Ismail Kadare Ismail Kadare (; 28 January 1936 – 1 July 2024) was an Albanian novelist, poet, essayist, screenwriter and playwright. He was a leading international literary figure and intellectual, focusing on poetry until the publication of his first novel ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Linda (given name) English feminine given names Estonian feminine given names Feminine given names English-language feminine given names