Lina

Arabic: associated with softness and tenderness, also with a word for a kind of palm; as a European short form, the meaning depends on the longer name.

Lina is a feminine name with more than one path into use. In Arabic, لينا is associated with softness and tenderness, and is also linked to لينة, a word for a kind of palm. In European naming traditions, Lina can be the short form of a longer name ending in -lina, such as Carolina or Paulina. Those routes do not give every Lina the same combined meaning. A Lina connected with Carolina takes her name’s background from that longer form; the Arabic name has its own explanation. Lina also stands as a name in its own right, so a longer form need not be assumed. The l and n sounds keep it flowing, with little interruption between the vowels. That gives the name a gentle, unembellished feel. Its small change in sound across languages is worth hearing: English usually softens the final vowel, while the Arabic pronunciation keeps it longer. The spelling can stay compact even when the family stories behind it are quite different.

Etymology: Lina has more than one origin. Arabic لينا is linked to softness; in European naming it can shorten names ending in -lina, such as Carolina or Paulina.