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Lina

girl name
Origin
Arabic
Syllables
2
Peak era
2010s/2020s
Today
▬ Steady

Torn between Lina and another name? Compare them side by side →

Meaning

soft, tender (from the root lāna, "to be soft")

The story

Lina has been in the American records every decade since the 1890s, which surprises people who read it as new: about 560 girls then, a steady midcentury simmer, and a long acceleration to about 3,400 in the 2010s with about 2,900 so far this decade. Behind the Name gives the Arabic name as soft, tender, from the root lana, to be soft, with a second reading from lina, a type of palm tree, likely from the same root. Elsewhere it stands as the short form of every name ending in lina, and Sanskrit and Lithuanian carry their own separate Linas. Brazil knows it well too: about 8,900 residents in the census, inside the top 2,000. Four letters, many doors, and a full century of receipts behind it.

More names with stories →

The formal names behind Lina

Lina is an established short form of each of these names.

Caroline · French origin · French feminine form of Charles (Germanic karl, 'man'); famously borne by Princess Caroline of Hanover, Monaco

Carolina · Portuguese origin · feminine form of Carolus, the Latin form of Charles, from the Germanic word karl, "man"; North Carolina and South Carolina take their names from King Charles I

Catalina · Spanish origin · pure

Paulina · Latin origin · feminine form of Paul, meaning 'small' or 'humble'

Karolina · Slavic origin · feminine form of Carolus (see Charles, from karl "man")

Alina · Germanic origin · a short form of Adelina, Albina and other names ending in alina; the Adelina route is linked to "noble"

Why we verify every short-form relationship →

How popular is Lina around the world?

In the United States, 2,942 babies were named Lina between 2020 and 2025. In Austria, 349 girls named Lina were born in 2025, the 15th most common name among girls that year, spellings that differ only by special characters counted together.

Lina is on the official records of the United States, Austria, France, Norway, Spain, Canada, England and Wales, Scotland, Argentina, Ireland, South Australia, Poland, Brazil, Montevideo, Mexico City and Chile.

Lina crosses languages: it is in the latest top 300 of an English-speaking birth record and of a Spanish-speaking one. The full list: English and Spanish

United States

1 in 7,400

In the United States, 2,942 babies were named Lina between 2020 and 2025.

1890speak 2010s

Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Lina peaked in the 2010s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure. In US birth records Lina has stayed between 746 and 3,441 births in every decade since the 1950s: a name everyone knows and few children get.

Births with a Social Security record. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration

See the full list for the United States →

Austria

1 in 220

In Austria, 349 girls named Lina were born in 2025, the 15th most common name among girls that year, spellings that differ only by special characters counted together.

1984peak 2023

share of that year’s births on record

Live births in Austria by year of birth, 1984–2025, from Statistik Austria’s first-name statistics; spellings that differ only by special characters are counted together (umlauts stay apart), every name down to a single birth is published, and the count covers babies with Austrian citizenship only until 2009, every baby from 2010, and from 2015 also births abroad to mothers living in Austria. Shares divide by Statistik Austria’s count of live births from 2010, and before that by the file’s own total for the year. Source: Statistik Austria - data.statistik.gv.at (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1, updated 2026-07-09)

See the full list for Austria →

France

1 in 370

In France, about 1,740 girls named Lina were born in 2025, the 17th most common name among girls that year.

1900peak 2012

share of that year’s births on record

Births in France by year of birth, from INSEE’s fichier des prénoms (1900–2025; Mayotte from 2012); exact spellings count separately (Léo and Leo are different names), any spelling under 3 in a year and sex is withheld at source, every count is rounded to the nearest 5 at source, and nametree keeps the spellings that reached 20 in some year. Shares divide by INSEE’s count of births in France from 1957, and before that by the file’s own total for the year; INSEE says the file is not complete before 1946. Source: Insee, fichier des prénoms (last updated 2026-07-16)

See the full list for France →

Norway

1 in 510 · register 2026

In Norway, 52 girls were given the name Lina in 2025.

1945peak 2007

share of the girls on the register for that year, SSB’s own figure

People who have or have had a Norwegian ID number, emigrants left out, from Statistics Norway’s name statistics (release of January 2026): by year of birth for 1945–2020 (everyone born that year who was ever registered in Norway, including people who registered later and people who have since died) and by year of naming from 2021; only first names carried by 200 or more living people are listed, counts under 4 are withheld, and SSB merges spellings that differ only by letters outside the Norwegian alphabet. The shares are SSB’s own, of the people of that sex and year in that count; the 2025 figure counts the children named that year, and no year is a count of births. Source: Statistics Norway (SSB), table 10467 (updated 2026-01-28)

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Spain

#77 · 2024

In Spain, 8,100 residents are named Lina, the 324th most common name among women, with a mean age of 22.6 years.
In Spain, Lina was the 77th most common name among girls born in 2024.

Residents of Spain on 1 January 2025. Spain publishes how old a name’s living bearers are, not a birth series, so there is no year chart. Source: INE (Spain), Censo de Población anual, 1 January 2025

See the full list for Spain →

Canada

1 in 2,300

In Canada, 158 girls named Lina were born in 2024, the 171st most common name among girls that year.

1991peak 2019

share of that year’s name registrations

First given names from provincial and territorial vital statistics across Canada; any name-sex-year under 5 is excluded at source, and small Quebec counts carry a randomized adjustment made at source. Shares divide by Statistics Canada’s count of live births for the year; the 2024 count is preliminary. Source: Statistics Canada, first names at birth (table 17-10-0147-01)

See the full list for Canada →

England and Wales

1 in 2,900

In England and Wales, 200 girls named Lina were born in 2025, the 234th most common name among girls that year.

1996peak 2025

share of that year’s name registrations

Birth registrations in England and Wales (not the whole UK); exact spellings are counted separately, and any spelling under 3 in a year is withheld at source. Source: Office for National Statistics, baby names in England and Wales

See the full list for England and Wales →

Scotland

1 in 3,500

In Scotland, 13 girls named Lina were registered in 2024, the 275th most common name among girls that year.

2000peak 2024

share of that year’s name registrations

Births registered in Scotland; different spellings count separately but accents are merged at source, and any spelling under 3 in total is suppressed. Source: National Records of Scotland, babies' first names

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Argentina

1 in 6,200

In Argentina, 106 newborns were given the name Lina in 2024.

2012peak 2024

share of that year’s name registrations

Given-name components of births in Argentina 2012–2024; national cells are lower bounds and no sex split is published. Source: RENAPER (Argentina), Dirección Nacional de Población, given names 2012-2024

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Ireland

1 in 14,000

In Ireland, 4 girls named Lina were born in 2025, the 718th most common name among girls that year.

2000peak 2024

share of that year’s name registrations

Exact registered spellings from Irish vital statistics; any name under 3 in a year is withheld at source, and accented spellings (fadas) are recorded reliably only from 2018. Source: Central Statistics Office (Ireland), Irish babies' names

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South Australia

1 in 18,000 · 2017

In South Australia, 1 girl was registered as Lina in 2017.

peak 19592017

share of that year’s name registrations

Births registered in South Australia (not all of Australia) by first name and year of registration, 1944–2017, from the state’s Births, Deaths and Marriages registry, which publishes every name down to a single birth in capitals; a spelling its export repeats inside a year is counted once, and from 2018 only a top 100 is published, so the series ends at 2017. Source: Consumer and Business Services (South Australia), popular baby names

See the full list for South Australia →

Poland

1 in 21,000

In Poland, 12 girls named Lina were born in 2025, the 335th most common name among girls that year.

2000peak 2025

share of that year’s name registrations

First names given to children born in Poland by year of birth, 2000–2025, from the PESEL population register (Ministry of Digital Affairs); exact spellings count separately (Łukasz and Lukasz are different names), names given fewer than 5 times in a year were left off the list through 2012 and fewer than 2 times from 2013, and the register also counts children born abroad, so its yearly sums run above Poland’s live births. Shares divide by the register’s own published total for the year, never by births. Source: Ministry of Digital Affairs, PESEL register (dane.gov.pl)

See the full list for Poland →

Brazil

1 in 23,000

At the 2022 census, 8,883 people in Brazil were named Lina, ranked 1,858th, with a median age of 53.
Among people named Lina living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1960s than in any other decade.

1930speak 1960s2010s

people alive at the 2022 census, by decade of birth

The census also counted 329 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart. People alive and resident in Brazil at the 2022 census, a living-population count, not births; names under 20 are withheld at source. Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022

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Montevideo City

1 in 25,000 · 2011

In Montevideo, 1 girl named Lina was born in 2011, spelling variants counted together.
The count never rose above 7 in a year, too few to chart.

Births in the department of Montevideo (not all of Uruguay) by first name and year of birth, 1940–2011, from the city’s civil registry, which writes names in capitals, almost always without accents; counted as spelling groups (accent and punctuation variants merged), nothing is withheld at source, and 2012 is excluded as a partial year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil, Intendencia de Montevideo, Partidas de Registro Civil de Montevideo (Licencia de Datos Abiertos - Uruguay); 2012 dropped as partial

See the full list for Montevideo →

Mexico City City

1 in 29,000

In Mexico City, there were 4 registrations of Lina in 2022.

2000peak 2020

share of that year’s registrations in the city

Civil-registry acts in Mexico City by registration year. Counts are lower bounds (names under 6 in a month and borough are removed at source) and count name-instances, not people; compound names are split, so “Maria Jose” counts under each part. 2023 (1 registration through 3 Mar) is excluded as partial. Source: Registro Civil of Mexico City, open data portal, registered given names 2000-2023

See the full list for Mexico City →

Chile

1 in 30,000

In Chile, 6 girls were registered as Lina in 2021, every accent spelling counted together.

peak 19302021

share of that year’s name registrations

First-name registrations with Chile’s civil registry by year of registration, 1920–2021, counted as spelling groups (Sofía, Sofia and Sofìa are one name, shown with its most-registered spelling); the registry withholds nothing, nametree keeps the groups that reached 5 registrations in some year, and shares divide by every registration of the year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación (Chile) via the guaguas package, first-name registrations 1920-2021

See the full list for Chile →

New Zealand

last on record 2024

Lina is not on the 2025 record for New Zealand, where names under 10 in a year are excluded at source.

2010peak 20172025

share of that year’s name registrations

First given names from New Zealand birth registrations, grouped by registration year; any name under 10 in a year is excluded at source. Shares divide by Stats NZ’s count of births registered to mothers living in New Zealand, under 1% below the registry’s own count. Source: Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand), baby name popularity over time

See the full list for New Zealand →

Puerto Rico

last on record 2021

Lina is not on the 2025 record for Puerto Rico, which withholds births under 5, and 5 babies have carried the name there since 1998.
The count never rose above 5 in a year, too few to chart.

First given name only, from Social Security records of births in Puerto Rico; any name-sex-year under 5 births is withheld at source. Shares divide by the Puerto Rico Demographic Registry’s count of births on the island; the 2025 count is provisional. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, territory name file (Puerto Rico)

See the full list for Puerto Rico →

All records: the most popular baby names around the world →

When you meet Lina

Most people given the name Lina in the United States are teenagers or young adults today.

Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.

Names that fit alongside Lina

Mariam Alia Reem Sofia Aminah Zainab

Where Lina travels

Samoan · a common Samoan short form, as in names like Salina or Malina

Keep exploring

Samoan baby names · Arab American baby names · Arabic baby names · Short names · What is Lina short for? · Familiar but never popular

Name trails: explore connections from Lina →

The Lina deep dive

Written for you · $1.99 →

Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Lina truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Lina fits with your family’s names and surname.

Both reports, explained →

Does Lina fit YOUR family?

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