NameCensus.
Very Rare

Gaylynn

A feminine name of modern English origin, possibly meaning "gay" and "lynn" meaning meadow or waterfall.

Name Census estimates that about 327 living Americans carry the first name Gaylynn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Gaylynn today is around 61 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gaylynn births was 1961 (28 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Gaylynn. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.

People living today

327

~ 1 in 1,048,178 Americans

Peak year

1961

28 babies that year

Average age

61

years old

1993 SSA rank

#8,969

Tracked since 1944

Popularity

Gaylynn: popularity over time

The SSA tracks Gaylynn from the 1940s through to the 1990s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 197 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.

Babies born per year

071421281945195019551960196519701975198019851990

Decades

Gaylynn by decade

The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Gaylynn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
1940s04646
1950s08484
1960s0197197
1970s06464
1980s01515
1990s099

Geography

Where Gaylynns live

Origin

Meaning and history of Gaylynn

The name Gaylynn is a relatively modern name that emerged in the 20th century. It is a combination of the English names Gay and Lynn, both of which have distinct origins and meanings.

The first part, Gay, derives from the Old French word "gai," meaning joyful or carefree. It was originally used as a descriptive term for someone with a cheerful or lively disposition. The name Lynn, on the other hand, has its roots in the Gaelic word "linn," which means a pool or lake.

While the name Gaylynn does not appear to have any direct historical or religious references, its component names have been used separately throughout history. The name Gay can be traced back to the Middle Ages, with records showing it as a surname in England as early as the 13th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Gaylynn was Gaylynn Elizabeth Barnwell, an American author born in 1936. She wrote several books on parenting and family life, including "The Shaping of a Life" and "The Family Circle."

Another notable Gaylynn was Gaylynn Borst, a Dutch Olympic swimmer who competed in the 1972 Munich Olympics. She won a silver medal in the 4x100m medley relay.

In the world of music, Gaylynn Baker was a country music singer and songwriter from Texas. She released several albums in the 1990s and early 2000s, including "Thinkin' About Leavin'" and "Tougher Than Nails."

Gaylynn Wilshire was an American actress and model who appeared in several television shows and movies in the 1970s and 1980s. She had roles in popular series such as "Charlie's Angels" and "The Dukes of Hazzard."

Lastly, Gaylynn Millman was a Canadian figure skater who competed in the 1968 and 1972 Winter Olympics. She won a silver medal in the pairs event with her partner Ralph Byrne at the 1968 Grenoble Olympics.

While the name Gaylynn may have gained popularity more recently, its roots can be traced back to older English and Gaelic names, each with their own unique meanings and histories.

People

Gaylynn + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Gaylynn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Related

Other names starting with G

Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.

FAQ

Gaylynn: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Gaylynn?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 327 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gaylynn going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,048,178 US residents.

Is Gaylynn a common name?

We classify Gaylynn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 415 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Gaylynn most popular?

The single biggest year for Gaylynn was 1961, when 28 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gaylynn is about 61 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

Is Gaylynn a female name?

Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gaylynn in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.

Where does this data come from?

First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.

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