Find out how popular the first name Lin has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Lin by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Lin is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 71% of people named Lin being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 9 male babies and 5 female babies born with the name Lin.

It's also interesting to see that despite Lin being historically a mostly female name, the most recent data from 2023 shows a shift in the trend, with more male babies being named Lin.

The history of the first name Lin

The name Lin is believed to have originated in China, where it was derived from the Chinese character 林, meaning "forest" or "woods." This character has been used in Chinese names since ancient times, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BCE).

In Chinese culture, the name Lin was often associated with a connection to nature and the natural world. It was a popular name choice for families living in rural or forested areas, as it was believed to bring good luck and harmony with the environment.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lin can be found in the Classic of Poetry (Shijing), an ancient collection of Chinese poems and songs dating back to the 11th-7th centuries BCE. The name appears in several poems, often associated with descriptions of natural landscapes and the beauty of the forests.

Throughout Chinese history, there have been numerous notable figures who bore the name Lin. One of the most famous was Lin Zexu (1785-1850), a scholar-official during the Qing Dynasty who played a pivotal role in the events leading to the First Opium War. Another notable Lin was Lin Biao (1907-1971), a military leader and one of the key figures in the Chinese Communist Revolution.

The name Lin also made its way to other East Asian countries, such as Korea and Japan, where it was adapted to fit their respective writing systems and cultural contexts. In Korea, the name is sometimes rendered as "Rim," while in Japan, it can be written as "Rin" or "Hayashi."

Beyond East Asia, the name Lin has been adopted and used in various cultures around the world, often as a shortened form of longer names or as a result of immigration and cultural exchange. In the Western world, some notable figures with the name Lin include Lin-Manuel Miranda, the acclaimed American composer, actor, and playwright best known for creating the hit musical Hamilton.

Other notable individuals with the name Lin throughout history include Lin Huiyin (1904-1955), a Chinese architect and writer; Lin Yutang (1895-1976), a Chinese writer and inventor of the Chinese typewriter; Lin Dan (born 1983), a Chinese professional badminton player and Olympic champion; and Lin Zhao (1932-1968), a Chinese writer and political dissident who was executed during the Cultural Revolution.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Lin was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Lin, please contact us.

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