Linnaea
Feminine form of Linnaeus, derived from linden tree.
Name Census estimates that about 212 living Americans carry the first name Linnaea. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Linnaea today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Linnaea births was 2018 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Linnaea. 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
212
~ 1 in 1,616,766 Americans
Peak year
2018
16 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,681
Tracked since 1966
Popularity
Linnaea: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Linnaea from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 100 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Linnaea remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Linnaea 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 Linnaea during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Linnaea
The name Linnaea has its origins in the Swedish language and culture. It is a feminine given name derived from the Latin word "linna," which means "linden tree" or "lime tree." The name is closely associated with the renowned Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus, who was born in 1707 and is considered the father of modern taxonomy.
In the 18th century, Carl Linnaeus established the binomial nomenclature system for naming and classifying plants and animals. As a tribute to his contributions, a genus of tiny, evergreen plants known as "twinflowers" was named Linnaea by one of his students, Jan Frederik Gronovius.
The earliest recorded use of Linnaea as a given name dates back to the late 18th century, shortly after Carl Linnaeus's lifetime. It gained popularity in Scandinavia and other European countries, particularly among those with an appreciation for nature and botany.
One of the most notable individuals named Linnaea was Linnaea Sayers (1821-1881), a Swedish writer and feminist who advocated for women's rights and education. She was a pioneering figure in the Swedish women's movement and authored several novels and plays.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Linnaea Malmström (1860-1944), a Swedish artist and painter known for her landscape and portrait works. She studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts and gained recognition for her realistic and naturalistic style.
In the field of science, Linnaea Seale (1860-1945) was an American botanist and educator. She dedicated her career to the study of plant life in the Pacific Northwest and made significant contributions to the understanding of the region's flora.
Linnaea Hellström (1905-1990) was a Swedish film actress who appeared in numerous Swedish and Norwegian films during the 1930s and 1940s. She was known for her versatility and ability to portray both dramatic and comedic roles.
Lastly, Linnaea Quigley (born 1958) is an American actress and author who gained popularity for her roles in horror films during the 1980s and 1990s. She is best known for her performances in films such as "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Return of the Living Dead."
While the name Linnaea has its roots in botany and the legacy of Carl Linnaeus, it has transcended its scientific origins and become a beloved given name across various cultures and time periods, often associated with nature, art, and literature.
People
Linnaea + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Linnaea as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Linnaea: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Linnaea?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 212 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Linnaea 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 1,616,766 US residents.
Is Linnaea a common name?
We classify Linnaea as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 215 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Linnaea most popular?
The single biggest year for Linnaea was 2018, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Linnaea is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Linnaea a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Linnaea 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.