Newlin
A masculine name meaning "new linen" or "new line".
Name Census estimates that about 2 living Americans carry the first name Newlin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Newlin today is around 101 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Newlin births was 1919 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Newlin. 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 Newlin is about 101 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Newlins were born before 1935.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Newlin. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
2
~ 1 in 171,377,169 Americans
Peak year
1919
5 babies that year
Average age
101
years old
1941 SSA rank
#3,857
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Newlin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Newlin from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, 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
Newlin 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 Newlin 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 Newlin
The name Newlin is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "niwe" meaning "new" and "linn" meaning "pool" or "stream." It is believed to have originated in the Middle Ages, likely as a surname given to someone who lived near a newly formed body of water.
In the 13th century, there are records of individuals bearing the surname Newlin or variations like Newlyne and Neulyne in various regions of England. One of the earliest documented references is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mentions a "William de Neulyne" in Oxfordshire.
As a given name, Newlin first appeared in the late 16th century. One of the earliest recorded instances is Newlin Partridge, born in 1587 in Gloucestershire, England. He later emigrated to the American colonies and settled in Pennsylvania in the early 1600s.
Throughout history, a few notable individuals have borne the name Newlin. One of the most prominent was Newlin Fell (1682-1763), an English Quaker and businessman who established a successful trading company in Pennsylvania. Another was Newlin Maynard (1822-1890), an American inventor and businessman known for his contributions to the firearms industry.
In the 19th century, Newlin Armistead (1834-1865) was a Confederate officer who fought in the American Civil War and was killed in action at the Battle of Gettysburg. Around the same time, Newlin Purviance (1835-1909) was an American lawyer and judge who served as a justice on the Supreme Court of Indiana.
In the early 20th century, Newlin Grist (1904-1984) was an American artist and illustrator known for his works depicting rural life and landscapes. He is considered one of the leading regionalist painters of his time.
While the name Newlin has its roots in England, it has been used across various parts of the world, particularly in the United States and other English-speaking countries, though its popularity has remained relatively limited compared to more common names.
People
Newlin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Newlin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Newlin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Newlin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Newlin 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 171,377,169 US residents.
Is Newlin a common name?
We classify Newlin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.3% 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 Newlin most popular?
The single biggest year for Newlin was 1919, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Newlin is about 101 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 Newlin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Newlin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Newlin 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 Newlin still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Newlin 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 Newlin 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 common is the name Newlin?
See how many Americans are named Newlin on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.