Linnette
A feminine name of French origin meaning "petite linden tree".
Name Census estimates that about 951 living Americans carry the first name Linnette. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Linnette today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Linnette births was 1971 (36 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Linnette. 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
951
~ 1 in 360,415 Americans
Peak year
1971
36 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
2022 SSA rank
#14,588
Tracked since 1930
Popularity
Linnette: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Linnette from the 1930s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 269 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
Decades
Linnette 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 Linnette during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Linnettes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. New York, California, Ohio recorded the most babies named Linnette, while Florida, Ohio, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 32 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Linnette
The name Linnette is believed to have originated from the French language, derived from the Latin name Lina, which itself comes from the Greek word "linon," meaning "flax" or "linen." The name likely emerged during the Middle Ages in France, around the 12th or 13th century.
While the exact origins of the name are uncertain, it is thought that Linnette was initially a diminutive form of the name Lina, used as a endearing nickname or pet name for girls. The addition of the "-ette" suffix was a common practice in French at the time, creating a more affectionate or diminutive version of a name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Linnette can be found in the 14th-century French poem "Roman de la Rose," written by Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun. In the poem, a character named Linnette is mentioned, though her significance is not entirely clear.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Linnette. One such person was Linnette Chillingworth (1658-1722), an English woman who was one of the last individuals to be prosecuted and executed for witchcraft in England. Another notable Linnette was Linnette Qiu Hiaasen (1924-2017), a Chinese-American author and activist who wrote extensively about her experiences during the Cultural Revolution in China.
In the realm of music, Linnette Opie (born 1935) was an American jazz singer and songwriter who performed with notable musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie and Art Blakey. Linnette Vassell (1940-2022) was a Jamaican singer and songwriter who was a prominent figure in the ska and rocksteady genres.
Another notable Linnette was Linnette Rivero (born 1953), a Cuban-American politician who served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1998 to 2006. She was known for her advocacy on issues related to education and healthcare.
While the name Linnette has never been among the most popular names, it has maintained a unique charm and historical significance, reflecting its French and Latin roots and its connection to the world of literature and the arts.
People
Linnette + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Linnette 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
Linnette: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Linnette?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 951 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Linnette 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 360,415 US residents.
Is Linnette a common name?
We classify Linnette as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,144 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Linnette most popular?
The single biggest year for Linnette was 1971, when 36 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Linnette is about 50 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Linnette a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Linnette 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.