Total births
130,365
Girls' name · since 1916
Lindsay
130,365 babies named Lindsay in U.S. Social Security records since 1916, with the highest year being 1983. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1984
- among girls today
- 130,365
- born since 1916
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Lindsay is the #1984 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 130,365 recorded since 1916.
Social Security Administration records show Lindsay recorded 130,365 times among girls since 1916, holding rank #1984 nationally today, ahead of 89% of girls, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1916 to 2025.
- #1984 among girls today
- 130,365 born since 1916
- 1980s peak decade
- 89% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Lindsay is currently the #1984 girls' name in America, more common than 89% of girls - 130,365 born since 1916, peaking in the 1980s.
- #1984
- among girls today
- 130,365
- born since 1916
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other girls
Lindsay vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1984
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 89% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
53% of everyone ever named Lindsay was born in this single decade.
1983
Single peak year
8,622 babies were named Lindsay in 1983 - its busiest year on record.
How Lindsay compares
130,365 Top 2% higher than 98% of 17,726 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
Lindsay's all-time total is 341x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lindsay | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 130,365 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 8,622 | 48 | 19,840 |
Lindsay's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Lindsay splits its recorded history at 1979: 92% of all births land in the more recent half, 8% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1921 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1983 peak of 8,622 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Lindsay at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1983
Current rank
#1,984
Active since
1916
Lindsay popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1916–2025
- Peak year (1983)
- 8,622
- Annual births at peak, across 110 years of records
Lindsay popularity over time - boys
5,136 total births recorded since 1880 (Lindsay as boys' name)
Lindsay by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Lindsay's strongest decade.
68,491 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 53% of all-time use.
Lindsay births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 6
1910s
6 births
- 1920s 19
1920s
19 births
- 1930s 34
1930s
34 births
- 1940s 327
1940s
327 births
- 1950s 948
1950s
948 births
- 1960s 583
1960s
583 births
- 1970s 12,358
1970s
12,358 births
- 1980s
1980s
68,491 births
- 1990s
1990s
31,382 births
- 2000s 12,262
2000s
12,262 births
- 2010s 3,290
2010s
3,290 births
- 2020s 665
2020s
665 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 68,491 births (53% of all-time use).
How Lindsay 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 Lindsay's total volume
Lindsay vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Lindsay by state
Where Lindsay concentrates geographically, total births since 1916
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 12,443 | 9.5% |
| #2 | New York | | 8,549 | 6.6% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 7,570 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 7,191 | 5.5% |
| #5 | Texas | | 7,041 | 5.4% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 5,898 | 4.5% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 5,755 | 4.4% |
| #8 | Florida | | 4,683 | 3.6% |
California share of Lindsay's total US births 9.5%
Even split
12,443 of 130,365 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Lindsay appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lindsay? ▼
Lindsay has been given to 130,365 babies in the U.S. since 1916, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #1984 as of the latest data. 8,622 babies were born in 1983, its single highest year.
When was Lindsay most popular? ▼
Lindsay was most popular in the 1980s decade with 68,491 total births. The single peak year was 1983.
Where is Lindsay most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lindsay are California (12,443 births), New York (8,549 births), Pennsylvania (7,570 births).
How long has the name Lindsay been used? ▼
Records for Lindsay go back to 1916, giving 110 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Lindsay? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Linda, Lindsey, Lina, Linnea, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Lindsay's data
- Lindsay's decade-level peak was the 1980s (68,491 total births); usage has since declined to 665 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Lindsays (12,443 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Lindsay
Nearby Names Like Lindsay
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lindsay
Linda Girl
#836 1,455,143 births
Lindsey Girl
#1284 157,551 births
Lina Girl
#565 19,489 births
Linnea Girl
#1601 9,944 births
Lindy Girl
#1926 8,896 births
Compare Lindsay side by side: Lindsay vs Linda Lindsay vs Lindsey Lindsay vs Lina
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lindsay
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1916–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Lindsay: #1984 Girls' Name - 130,365 Births, Peak 1983." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lindsay. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Lindsay 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 June 2026.