Linde
From the German language, meaning "linden tree" or "lime tree".
Name Census estimates that about 360 living Americans carry the first name Linde. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Linde today is around 54 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Linde births was 1957 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Linde. 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.
People living today
360
~ 1 in 952,095 Americans
Peak year
1957
15 babies that year
Average age
54
years old
2012 SSA rank
#16,086
Tracked since 1944
Census
Linde in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 527 people with the first name Linde, which placed it at #19,863 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#19,863
National first-name rank
People counted
527
527 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
87.1% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Linde
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Linde is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Linde described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Linde at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.1% · 459
- Black or African American4.2% · 22
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 15
- Two or more races2.1% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Popularity
Linde: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Linde from the 1940s through to the 2010s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 106 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Linde 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 Linde during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lindes live
Origin
Meaning and history of Linde
The name Linde is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Linde," which means "lime tree" or "linden tree." The linden tree has held significant symbolism in various cultures throughout history, representing qualities such as love, protection, and fertility.
In medieval Germany, the linden tree was often planted in town squares or near churches, serving as a gathering place for community events and celebrations. The name Linde may have been given to children born near these sacred trees or during festivities held under their shade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Linde can be found in the 13th-century German epic poem "Nibelungenlied." In this literary work, Linde is mentioned as the name of a female character, suggesting the name's usage during that period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Linde. One such figure was Linde Pruis (1905-1986), a Dutch artist known for her contributions to the Expressionist movement. Her bold use of color and unique interpretation of everyday subjects made her a prominent figure in the Dutch art scene of the 20th century.
Another famous Linde was Linde Merkelbach (1940-2018), a German actress who gained recognition for her roles in numerous television series and films. Her versatility and talent earned her several awards and accolades throughout her esteemed career.
In the world of literature, Linde Haid (1937-2015) was an Austrian author renowned for her works that explored themes of love, loss, and self-discovery. Her novel "The Woman from Munich" became a bestseller and was widely acclaimed for its poetic prose and intricate character development.
Linde Ivimey (1913-2002) was a British mathematician and computer scientist who made significant contributions to the field of computer programming during the early days of modern computing. Her work laid the foundation for many of the programming languages and techniques used today.
Lastly, Linde Pryor (1959-present) is an American entrepreneur and businesswoman who co-founded the successful software company Palo Alto Software. Her leadership and innovative approach have been instrumental in the company's growth and success, earning her recognition as a trailblazer in the tech industry.
People
Linde + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Linde as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Linde: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Linde?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 360 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Linde 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 952,095 US residents.
Is Linde a common name?
We classify Linde as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 442 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Linde most popular?
The single biggest year for Linde was 1957, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Linde is about 54 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Linde in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 527 people with the name Linde, or 0.17 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #19,863 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Linde in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Linde?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Linde leans strongly female. 510 people counted with this name were female (95.9%), compared with 22 male bearers (4.1%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Linde?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Linde is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Linde most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Linde in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.1% (459 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Linde in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Linde a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Linde 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.
Is Linde still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Linde in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Linde can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
How many people have Linde as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.