Roslynn
Pretty little rose, feminine form of English Roslin.
Name Census estimates that about 1,185 living Americans carry the first name Roslynn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Roslynn today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Roslynn births was 2014 (47 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Roslynn. 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
1.2K
~ 1 in 289,244 Americans
Peak year
2014
47 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,261
Tracked since 1929
Popularity
Roslynn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Roslynn from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 331 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Roslynn remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Roslynn 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 Roslynn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Roslynns live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Texas, California, Ohio recorded the most babies named Roslynn, while Michigan, Ohio, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 20 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Roslynn
The name Roslynn is an English variant of the Scottish name Roslyn, which itself is a locational surname derived from the town of Roslin or Rosslyn in Midlothian, Scotland. The town's name is believed to come from the Gaelic words "ros" meaning a promontory or rocky hill, and "linn" meaning a waterfall or pool.
The earliest recorded use of the name Roslynn dates back to the 12th century, when it was associated with the Rosslyn Chapel, a medieval chapel located in the village of Roslin. The chapel was founded in 1446 by William St Clair, 3rd Prince of Orkney, and its intricate carvings and architectural details have made it a renowned historical and cultural landmark.
Roslynn has been a relatively uncommon name throughout history, but it has been borne by a few notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded bearers was Roslynn Hoskins (c. 1570-1635), an English midwife and author of the book "The Compleat Midwife's Practice." Her work was highly influential in the field of midwifery during the 17th century.
Another notable Roslynn was Roslynn Barker (1892-1978), an American actress and dancer who performed on Broadway and in several Hollywood films during the early 20th century. She was known for her roles in productions such as the Ziegfeld Follies and the musical comedy "No, No, Nanette."
In the 19th century, Roslynn Merritt (1823-1901) was a prominent American educator and author. She founded the Merritt Seminary for Young Ladies in New York and published several books on education and literature.
A more recent historical figure with the name Roslynn was Roslynn Engelman (1926-2011), an American lawyer and civil rights activist. She was a pioneering figure in the fight for gender equality and played a crucial role in the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment in the United States.
Roslynn has also been used as a given name in literature and popular culture. One notable example is the character Roslynn Haynes in the novel "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison, which explores themes of race, beauty, and identity in 1940s America.
People
Roslynn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Roslynn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Roslynn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Roslynn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,185 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Roslynn 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 289,244 US residents.
Is Roslynn a common name?
We classify Roslynn as "Rare". It ranks above 91.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,304 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Roslynn most popular?
The single biggest year for Roslynn was 2014, when 47 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Roslynn is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Roslynn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Roslynn 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.