Carlinda
Woman's name combining Carl, a man's name meaning "free man," with Linda, meaning "pretty, soft."
Name Census estimates that about 72 living Americans carry the first name Carlinda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Carlinda today is around 58 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Carlinda births was 1968 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Carlinda. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Carlinda. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
72
~ 1 in 4,760,477 Americans
Peak year
1968
8 babies that year
Average age
58
years old
1989 SSA rank
#12,674
Tracked since 1948
Popularity
Carlinda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Carlinda from the 1940s through to the 1980s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 25 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1960s peak, Carlinda remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Carlinda by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Carlinda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Carlinda
The name Carlinda is believed to have its origins in the Germanic languages, specifically from the combination of the Germanic elements "karl" meaning "man" or "freeman" and "lind" meaning "tender" or "soft." This name likely emerged during the medieval period in regions where Germanic tribes and cultures had a strong presence, such as parts of modern-day Germany and surrounding areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Carlinda can be traced back to the 11th century, where it was mentioned in several monastic records from the Holy Roman Empire. It is possible that the name was initially used by members of the nobility or upper classes during this time, as names with Germanic roots were often favored among the ruling elite.
In the 12th century, a renowned scholar and abbess named Carlinda of Bingen (1098-1179) gained recognition for her works in music, literature, and natural philosophy. Her writings and compositions contributed significantly to the intellectual and cultural landscape of the High Middle Ages, solidifying the name's place in historical records.
During the Renaissance period, the name Carlinda experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly in Italy and other parts of Southern Europe. One notable figure from this era was the Italian painter and architect Carlinda Fiorentino (1494-1557), whose works adorned several churches and palaces in Florence and Rome.
In the 17th century, Carlinda von Ottingen (1612-1678), a German noblewoman and patron of the arts, played a crucial role in supporting and promoting the works of various artists and composers during her lifetime. Her patronage helped shape the cultural landscape of the Baroque period in Central Europe.
As the name Carlinda spread across different regions and cultures, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Carlinde, Karlinda, and Karlinde. These variations often reflected the linguistic and cultural influences of the area where the name was adopted.
While the name Carlinda may not have been as widely used as some other names throughout history, it has maintained a presence in various cultures and regions, carrying with it a sense of strength and tenderness derived from its Germanic roots.
People
Carlinda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Carlinda as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Carlinda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Carlinda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 72 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Carlinda going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 4,760,477 US residents.
Is Carlinda a common name?
We classify Carlinda as "Very Rare". It ranks above 59.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 89 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Carlinda most popular?
The single biggest year for Carlinda was 1968, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Carlinda is about 58 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Carlinda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Carlinda in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.