Gender: Feminine
Origin: Romansch
Meaning: “Latin woman; Latin speaker.”
(lah-DEE-nah).
This is a name that is scarcely heard outside of Switzerland, with the pleasant nickname options of Dina or Ladi, it is a fairly common name in both the German and Italian speaking parts of Switzerland.
In 2010, she stands as the 47th most popular female name in German-speaking Switzerland. It is somewhat of a patriotic name, as Ladin is the name of a dialect of Romansch, (a very minor Romance language said to be the closest in form and sound to Latin).
The dialect of
Ladin is spoken by the inhabitants of Friuli in Northern Italy, and on the Italian-Swiss border in Switzerland. The language has an Italian sound with a Germanic rhythm. It is reminiscent in sound to Yiddish, audio can be heard here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladin_language.
Romansch, (including all its various dialects), is one of the 4 national languages of Switzerland, and while the language is dying off, the names survive long and well, sometimes being the preferred choice among Swiss parents. Many Romansch names, have a very pleasant, soft and Latin flavor to them.
Another Romance language, which is of completely different linguistic formations, is Ladino, the main language spoken by Sephardic Jews. It’s basically medieval Spanish mixed in with some Turkish, Arabic and Hebrew loan words. Though the female give name of Ladina has Romansch origins, the name might be an interesting choice for Sephardic Jewish parents, who might want to give a subtle nod to their heritage in their child’s name.
The name is of several different origins and meanings. It could be a German and Swedish short form of any name ending in –lina.
Gender: Feminine
Gender: Feminine
Gender: Masculine
Gender: Masculine
Gender: Masculine
Gender: Masculine