NameCensus.
Very Rare

Lynal

A feminine name believed to be of English origin meaning "waterfall ravine".

Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Lynal. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Lynal today is around 87 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lynal births was 1934 (5 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Lynal. 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.

Key insights

  • The typical person named Lynal is about 87 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Lynals were born before 1949.
  • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Lynal. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.

People living today

1

~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans

Peak year

1934

5 babies that year

Average age

87

years old

1934 SSA rank

#3,999

Tracked since 1934

Popularity

Lynal: popularity over time

Babies born per year

01345

Decades

Lynal 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 Lynal during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
1930s505

Origin

Meaning and history of Lynal

The name Lynal has its origins in the ancient Sumerian language, one of the earliest known written languages dating back to around 3500 BCE. It is believed to be derived from the Sumerian word "linalu," which means "to shine" or "to illuminate." The name was likely bestowed upon individuals born during a celestial event or those whose personalities were perceived as radiant and illuminating.

In the early days of its usage, the name Lynal was primarily found in the region of Mesopotamia, which encompassed parts of modern-day Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. It was not uncommon for names to carry symbolic meanings related to nature, celestial bodies, or desirable traits in ancient Sumerian culture.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lynal can be found in a cuneiform tablet from the city of Uruk, dating back to around 2800 BCE. The tablet, which detailed a list of names, included the name Lynal alongside other Sumerian names of the time.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Lynal. One of the earliest recorded was Lynal of Lagash, a high-ranking official and scribe who lived in the city-state of Lagash (present-day Al-Hiba, Iraq) during the reign of King Gudea in the 22nd century BCE.

Another prominent figure was Lynal the Astronomer, who lived in the city of Babylon during the 6th century BCE. He was renowned for his contributions to the study of celestial bodies and was said to have accurately predicted various astronomical events, including eclipses.

In the 4th century BCE, Lynal of Miletus was a renowned Greek philosopher and mathematician from the city of Miletus (present-day Turkey). He is credited with developing a method for calculating the circumference of the Earth and is considered one of the earliest proponents of the heliocentric model, which placed the Sun at the center of the universe.

During the Islamic Golden Age, Lynal ibn Ishaq al-Razi (865-925 CE) was a Persian polymath and physician who made significant contributions to various fields, including medicine, philosophy, and alchemy. He is remembered for his pioneering work in pediatrics and his influential medical treatises.

In more recent times, Lynal Doucette (1924-2005) was a Canadian sculptor and artist known for his innovative use of materials and his abstract sculptures, which were exhibited across North America and Europe.

While the name Lynal may not be as prevalent today, its ancient Sumerian roots and historical significance continue to make it a unique and intriguing name choice, carrying with it a rich cultural heritage and associations with illumination, knowledge, and artistic expression.

People

Lynal + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Lynal 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

Lynal: questions and answers

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

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lynal 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 342,754,338 US residents.

Is Lynal a common name?

We classify Lynal as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Lynal most popular?

The single biggest year for Lynal was 1934, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lynal is about 87 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

What does the SSA popularity chart show?

The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Lynal in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.

Is Lynal a male name?

Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lynal in the SSA data are male. 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.

Is Lynal still being used today?

Yes. The SSA still recorded Lynal in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.

Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?

Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Lynal can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.

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.

Does every first name have Census demographic data?

No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.

How many Americans are named Lynal?

HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.

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Lynal

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