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Rosalind

Girl name · 298 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Rosalind: 298 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 24 births in 1979.

Rosalind blends two possible roots: the Old German *hros* (“horse”) and *lind* (“soft, tender”), or the Spanish *rosa linda* (“pretty rose”). Shakespeare popularised the name through the witty, resourceful heroine of *As You Like It*. The scientist Rosalind Franklin, whose X‑ray crystallography was crucial to discovering DNA’s structure, is perhaps the most celebrated modern bearer. A moon of Uranus bears her name, reflecting the tradition of naming Uranian moons after Shakespearean characters. Variants such as Rosalyn and Roslyn remain popular, while the name’s soft, romantic sound keeps it a timeless choice—neither