Lynus
A masculine name of Greek origin, implying "linen cloth".
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Lynus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Lynus today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lynus births was 1951 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lynus. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Lynus. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
1951
5 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
2013 SSA rank
#13,309
Tracked since 1951
Popularity
Lynus: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lynus from the 1950s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lynus 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 Lynus 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 Lynus
The name Lynus is derived from the ancient Greek word "lynos," which means "made of linen." This suggests that the name likely originated in ancient Greece, where linen was a widely used and highly valued fabric. The earliest recorded use of the name Lynus dates back to the 5th century BCE.
In Greek mythology, Lynus was the name of a celebrated poet and musician who was said to have been the son of Apollo and the muse Calliope. According to legend, Lynus was killed by Heracles for daring to challenge the hero's musical abilities. The story of Lynus is mentioned in works by ancient authors such as Pausanias and Ovid.
During the Roman era, the name Lynus gained some popularity, appearing in various historical records and inscriptions. One notable bearer of the name was Lynus of Miletus, a philosopher and grammarian who lived in the 2nd century BCE and wrote several works on grammar and rhetoric.
In the Middle Ages, the name Lynus was occasionally used in Europe, although it remained relatively rare. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Lynus of Anagni, an Italian monk and scholar who lived in the 13th century and wrote commentaries on various works of philosophy and theology.
Over the centuries, several other notable individuals have borne the name Lynus. These include:
1. Lynus Norbertus Redwitz (1804-1876), a German poet and translator.
2. Lynus Faucette (1900-1976), an American jazz musician and bandleader.
3. Lynus Jacobsen (1914-1997), a Danish painter and graphic artist.
4. Lynus Salomé (1913-1989), a Haitian painter and sculptor.
5. Lynus J. Falkingham (1939-2022), a Canadian academic and expert on ancient Greek philosophy.
While the name Lynus has never been widely popular, it has maintained a presence throughout history, particularly in European and classical contexts. Its roots in Greek mythology and its association with the arts and scholarship have contributed to its enduring cultural significance.
People
Lynus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lynus 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
Lynus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lynus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lynus 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 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Lynus a common name?
We classify Lynus as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lynus most popular?
The single biggest year for Lynus was 1951, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lynus is about 45 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 Lynus in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lynus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lynus 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 Lynus still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lynus 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 Lynus 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 people share the name Lynus?
Want to know how many Americans are named Lynus? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.