Unisex name · since 1917
Lin
Lin has 1,034 recorded births since 1917 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1952 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #7,337 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #12,034 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,034
- born since 1917
- 1950s
- peak decade
1,034 babies have been named Lin since 1917, making it today's #12034 unisex name.
Lin has 1,034 recorded births among girls since 1917, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #12034 as of the latest data, more common than 30% of girls, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1917 to 2025.
- #7,337 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #12,034 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 1,034 born since 1917
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Lin ranks #7,337 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #12,034 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 1,034 born since 1917, peaking in the 1950s.
- #7,337 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #12,034 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,034
- born since 1917
- 1950s
- peak decade
Lin's 1,034 recorded births place it above 89.85% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Lin compares
1,034 Top 32% higher than 68% of 17,297 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Lin's all-time total is 175% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lin | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,034 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 35 | 21 | 19,840 |
Lin's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Lin's full recorded timeline at 1981, 37% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 63% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1917, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1952 peak of 35 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Lin popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1917–2025
- Peak year (1952)
- 35
- Annual births at peak, across 109 years of records
Lin popularity over time - boys
863 total births recorded since 1898 (Lin as boys' name)
Lin by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (269 births, 26% of the file).
1950s was Lin's strongest decade.
269 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Lin births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1930s 23
1930s
23 births
- 1940s
1940s
133 births
- 1950s
1950s
269 births
- 1960s
1960s
166 births
- 1970s 45
1970s
45 births
- 1980s 81
1980s
81 births
- 1990s 76
1990s
76 births
- 2000s
2000s
113 births
- 2010s 80
2010s
80 births
- 2020s 43
2020s
43 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 269 births (26% of all-time use).
How Lin compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Lin's total volume
Lin by state
Where Lin concentrates geographically, total births since 1917
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 63 | 6.1% |
| #2 | New York | | 35 | 3.4% |
63 of 1,034 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lin? ▼
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What to do with Lin's data
- Lin's decade-level peak was the 1950s (269 total births); usage has since declined to 43 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Lins (63 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Lin
Nearby Names Like Lin
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lin
Compare Lin side by side: Lin vs Linda Lin vs Lindsey Lin vs Lindsay
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lin
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Lin: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1952)
Similar record span (~108 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1917–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Lin draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.