Lin
Lin was the 12636th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 7 babies. Its best year was 1952, when it ranked 1667th with 35 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 2,988 places. More babies were named Lin in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Lynn) lake or pool (surname) · English, Welsh
- Rank in 2025
- #12,636 girls, down 940 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 7girls
- Girls and boys
- 58% girls, 42% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 195235 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,897babies recorded
What does the name Lin mean?
Lin is a spelling of Lynn, pronounced the same way, so it shares Lynn's meaning and origin.
Lynn is an English surname and place name, as in King's Lynn in Norfolk, generally derived from Welsh or Brittonic llyn 'lake, pool' (or Old English hlynn 'torrent'). Wiktionary lists it as a boys' name usually used as a middle name; as a girls' name it is often a short form of Linda or Carolyn and was very common as a middle name in the mid-20th century.
llyn (Welsh, “lake, pool”)
How sure is this? Probable. The place-name origin is standard; for girls the name is often a short form instead.
Related names: Lynne, Linda, Carolyn.
See also: Welsh names, names that mean water, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Lynn', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'llyn' (Welsh section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Lin popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12,636 | — | 7 | — |
| 2020 | #11,696 | — | 8 | — |
| 2010 | #12,978 | #8,529 | 8 | 9 |
| 2000 | #9,589 | — | 10 | — |
| 1990 | #12,254 | #6,185 | 6 | 8 |
| 1980 | #4,870 | #6,856 | 15 | 5 |
| 1970 | #7,575 | #4,532 | 6 | 6 |
| 1960 | #1,940 | #2,091 | 35 | 16 |
| 1950 | #2,220 | #1,857 | 20 | 17 |
| 1940 | #2,872 | #2,418 | 10 | 10 |
| 1930 | #4,938 | #2,709 | 5 | 10 |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Lin, counting every spelling?
Lin is a spelling of Lynn, a name family that ranked #1,679 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #12,636 for Lin on its own. Together these spellings went to 107 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lynn | 69 | #2,558 | 303 |
| Linh | 16 | #7,008 | 61 |
| Lynne | 6 | #14,259 | 42 |
| Lin | 7 | #12,636 | 35 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Lin?
7 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Lin (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Lin born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 1,224 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Lin.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Lin?
About 900 people born in the US named Lin are alive today, with a median age of 57; half are between 25 and 70. That makes Lin a name most people associate with older generations. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Lin: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Lin, they share its era and feel.
Lin is also a nickname for Linda.
Questions about the name Lin
What does Lin mean?
Lin is a spelling of Lynn, which means “lake or pool (surname)” (English, Welsh origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Lin?
Lin was the 12636th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 7 babies. Its best year was 1952, when it ranked 1667th with 35 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 2,988 places. More babies were named Lin in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Lin a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 58% girls, 42% boys given the name Lin in the US.