Lynne
Lynne was the 14259th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 6 babies. Its best year was 1951, when it ranked 144th; the most babies were born in 1960 (2,458). Over the last ten years it has moved down 3,674 places. More babies were named Lynne in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Lynn) lake or pool (surname) · English, Welsh
- Rank in 2025
- #14,259 girls, down 2,538 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 6girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19602,458 babies
- Total since 1880
- 62,415babies recorded
What does the name Lynne mean?
Lynne 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)
Lynne popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 458 since 1912.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #14,259 | 6 |
| 2020 | #11,721 | 8 |
| 2010 | #8,554 | 14 |
| 2000 | #4,359 | 28 |
| 1990 | #1,809 | 80 |
| 1980 | #781 | 212 |
| 1970 | #368 | 662 |
| 1960 | #164 | 2,458 |
| 1950 | #153 | 1,940 |
| 1940 | #226 | 742 |
| 1930 | #1,282 | 35 |
| 1920 | #1,429 | 32 |
| 1910 | #2,309 | 6 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Lynne, counting every spelling?
Lynne is a spelling of Lynn, a name family that ranked #1,679 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #14,259 for Lynne 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 Lynne?
6 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Lynne (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Lynne 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 1,368 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Lynne.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Lynne?
About 46,500 people born in the US named Lynne are alive today, with a median age of 68; half are between 62 and 75. That makes Lynne a name most people associate with older generations.
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 Lynne: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Lynne, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Lynne
What does Lynne mean?
Lynne is a spelling of Lynn, which means “lake or pool (surname)” (English, Welsh origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Lynne?
Lynne was the 14259th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 6 babies. Its best year was 1951, when it ranked 144th; the most babies were born in 1960 (2,458). Over the last ten years it has moved down 3,674 places. More babies were named Lynne in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Lynne a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Lynne in the US.