Amanda is a feminine given name of Latin origin. It comes from the Late Latin male given name Amand, which means "lovable" or "worthy of love." The name was derived from the Latin word amans, meaning "loving," and was initially used as an adjective to describe someone who was beloved or lovable.
The name Amanda entered common usage in English-speaking countries during the 18th century. It gained popularity due to its use by several characters in works of literature. For example, in John Home's tragedy "Douglas" (1757), Amanda is a character whose love story inspired many readers. Additionally, in Tobias Smollett's novel "The Expedition of Humphry Clinker" (1771), the character Amanda Lovell contributed to the name's rising popularity.
Over time, Amanda has become quite popular as a given name for girls. It ranked among the top 500 most common names for females in many English-speaking countries throughout much of the 20th century and continues to be widely used today. In the United States, it peaked at its highest popularity during the late 1970s to early 1980s but remains relatively common.
Variations of the name Amanda include Amada, Amandine, Mandie, Manda, and Mandy. Some related names include Amande, Amandola, and Amantia in French, while Amelia is a popular English name that shares its Latin root with Amanda. There are also numerous surnames derived from Amanda, such as Amandas, Amandaway, Amandewicz, and Amandini.
In conclusion, Amanda is a charming feminine given name with roots dating back to Late Latin. Meaning "lovable" or "worthy of love," it has been widely embraced in English-speaking countries since the 18th century due to its literary origins and appealing meaning. Today, Amanda remains a popular choice for parents looking for a timeless yet endearing name for their daughters.
The name Amanda has had a varied popularity over the years in the United States, with notable trends occurring between the mid-20th century to the early 21st century.
In the late 1800s and early-to-mid 1900s, the name Amanda was quite uncommon. Between 1899 and 1952, there were only five recorded births each year for this name. However, starting in the mid-1960s, we began to see an increase in its usage. From 1963 to 1972, the number of annual births with the name Amanda ranged between six and nineteen.
The real peak in popularity occurred during the late 1970s to the early 1980s. In this period, the number of babies named Amanda jumped significantly year by year:
- 45 births in 1975
- 67 births in 1976
- 79 births in 1978
- 111 births in 1979
This trend continued into the early 1980s, with over a hundred Amanda's born each year until 1985 when it peaked at 143 births.
However, popularity started to decline after this point. By 1990, the number of babies named Amanda had dropped to 96, and continued falling steadily throughout the 1990s:
- 56 births in 1991
- 51 births in 1992
- 35 births in 1993
This downward trend carried into the early 2000s, with fewer than 20 Amanda's born each year from 2000 to 2007. After this period, we have no data available on the annual number of births for this name.
In total, over a span of more than a century (1899-2004), there were approximately 2,136 babies named Amanda born in the United States. It is important to note that these statistics are subject to fluctuations and may not fully represent current or future trends in the popularity of this name.