Lindsay
Lindsay was the 2208th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 84 babies. Its best year was 1983, when it ranked 36th with 8,622 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,355 places. More babies were named Lindsay in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Lindsey) island of Lincoln (place name) · English, Celtic, Old English
- Rank in 2025
- #2,208 girls, down 545 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 84girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19838,622 babies
- Total since 1880
- 135,501babies recorded
What does the name Lindsay mean?
Lindsay is a spelling of Lindsey, pronounced the same way, so it shares Lindsey's meaning and origin.
Lindsey comes from the district of Lindsey in Lincolnshire, Old English Lindesege, from a Brittonic word for 'pool, lake' (as in Lincoln) and Old English ēg 'island', as Wiktionary notes. It became a Scottish surname (Lindsay), borne by the Earls of Crawford, and then a given name, first for boys and later, especially in the 1980s, mostly for girls in the US.
*lindos (Proto-Celtic, “lake, pool”)ēg (Old English, “island”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Lindsay, Linsey, Lyndsey.
See also: English names, names that mean water, names that mean meadow, hill or valley, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Lindsey', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Lindsay popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 5,136 since 1880.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,208 | 84 |
| 2020 | #1,663 | 124 |
| 2010 | #597 | 492 |
| 2000 | #179 | 1,800 |
| 1990 | #69 | 5,040 |
| 1980 | #71 | 4,353 |
| 1970 | #1,312 | 82 |
| 1960 | #1,512 | 54 |
| 1950 | #810 | 116 |
| 1940 | #2,874 | 10 |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Lindsay, counting every spelling?
Lindsay is a spelling of Lindsey, a name family that ranked #943 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,208 for Lindsay on its own. Together these spellings went to 259 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lindsey | 161 | #1,369 | 896 |
| Lindsay | 84 | #2,208 | 541 |
| Lyndsey | 14 | #7,723 | 91 |
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 Lindsay?
84 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Lindsay (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Lindsay 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 100 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Lindsay.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Lindsay?
About 126,200 people born in the US named Lindsay are alive today, with a median age of 39; half are between 33 and 43. That makes Lindsay mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
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.
Lindsay by state
How common Lindsay was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Jersey (1.7×), New York (1.6×). In 38 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Lindsay: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Lindsay, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Lindsay
What does Lindsay mean?
Lindsay is a spelling of Lindsey, which means “island of Lincoln (place name)” (English, Celtic, Old English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Lindsay?
Lindsay was the 2208th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 84 babies. Its best year was 1983, when it ranked 36th with 8,622 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,355 places. More babies were named Lindsay in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Lindsay a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Lindsay in the US.
Where is Lindsay most popular?
In 2021–2025, Lindsay was most common in Massachusetts (0.12 per 1,000 girls), followed by Maryland and New Jersey.