Total births
7,220
Unisex name · since 1915
Lyn
Lyn has 7,220 recorded births since 1915 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1957 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #11191
- among girls today
- 7,220
- born since 1915
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Lyn is the #11191 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 7,220 recorded since 1915.
Social Security Administration records show Lyn recorded 7,220 times among girls since 1915, holding rank #11191 nationally today, ahead of 37% of girls, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 2025.
- #11191 among girls today
- 7,220 born since 1915
- 1950s peak decade
- 37% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Lyn is currently the #11191 unisex name in America, more common than 37% of girls - 7,220 born since 1915, peaking in the 1950s.
- #11191
- among girls today
- 7,220
- born since 1915
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 37%
- more common than other girls
Lyn vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#11191
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 37% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
34% of everyone ever named Lyn was born in this single decade.
1957
Single peak year
280 babies were named Lyn in 1957 - its busiest year on record.
How Lyn compares
7,220 Top 11% higher than 89% 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
Lyn's all-time total is 19x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lyn | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 7,220 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 280 | 48 | 19,840 |
Lyn's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Lyn splits its recorded history at 1970: 17% of all births land in the more recent half, 83% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1996 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1957 peak of 280 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Lyn at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1957
Current rank
#11,191
Active since
1915
Lyn popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2025
- Peak year (1957)
- 280
- Annual births at peak, across 111 years of records
Lyn popularity over time - boys
1,561 total births recorded since 1896 (Lyn as boys' name)
Lyn by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Lyn's strongest decade.
2,448 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Lyn births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 25
1910s
25 births
- 1920s 80
1920s
80 births
- 1930s 266
1930s
266 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,387 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,448 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,787 births
- 1970s 699
1970s
699 births
- 1980s 252
1980s
252 births
- 1990s 127
1990s
127 births
- 2000s 73
2000s
73 births
- 2010s 48
2010s
48 births
- 2020s 28
2020s
28 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 2,448 births (34% of all-time use).
How Lyn 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 Lyn's total volume
Lyn vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Lyn by state
Where Lyn concentrates geographically, total births since 1915
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 768 | 10.6% |
| #2 | New York | | 553 | 7.7% |
| #3 | Massachusetts | | 372 | 5.2% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 346 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 321 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 282 | 3.9% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 253 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Texas | | 235 | 3.3% |
California share of Lyn's total US births 10.6%
Even split
768 of 7,220 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 37 reporting states.
Lyn appears in 37 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lyn? ▼
Since 1915, Social Security records show 7,220 babies named Lyn. Today it holds rank #11191 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1957, with 280 births.
When was Lyn most popular? ▼
Lyn was most popular in the 1950s decade with 2,448 total births. The single peak year was 1957.
Where is Lyn most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lyn are California (768 births), New York (553 births), Massachusetts (372 births).
Is Lyn a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Lyn is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 7,220 births, and as a boy's name it has 1,561 births.
How long has the name Lyn been used? ▼
Lyn has been recorded in Social Security data since 1915, spanning 111 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Lyn? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lynn, Lynda, Lynne, Lynette, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Lyn's data
- Lyn's decade-level peak was the 1950s (2,448 total births); usage has since declined to 28 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Lyns (768 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 Lyn
Nearby Names Like Lyn
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lyn
Lynn Girl
#2798 182,387 births
Lynda Girl
#9565 77,979 births
Lynne Girl
#13549 61,957 births
Lynette Girl
#2725 43,392 births
Lynnette Girl
#7994 15,226 births
Compare Lyn side by side: Lyn vs Lynn Lyn vs Lynda Lyn vs Lynne
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lyn
Marilou #11190
3,231 births · Peak 1948
Lilias #11192
105 births · Peak 1922
Fara #11189
1,093 births · Peak 1977
Hedy #11193
2,316 births · Peak 1942
Lylian #11188
379 births · Peak 2006
Janita #11194
1,837 births · Peak 1963
Vicki #11187
153,266 births · Peak 1954
Nathan #11195
1,774 births · Peak 1985
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, 1915–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Lyn: #11191 Unisex Name - 7,220 Births, Peak 1957." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lyn. 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 Lyn 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.