Total births
182,387
Unisex name · since 1880
Lynn
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 182,387 babies named Lynn, peaking in 1956. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2798
- among girls today
- 182,387
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 84%
- more common than other girls
182,387 babies have been named Lynn since 1880, making it today's #2798 unisex name.
Lynn has 182,387 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2798 as of the latest data, more common than 84% 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 1880 to 2025.
- #2798 among girls today
- 182,387 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 84% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Lynn is currently the #2798 unisex name in America, more common than 84% of girls - 182,387 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #2798
- among girls today
- 182,387
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 84%
- more common than other girls
Lynn vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2798
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 84% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
36% of everyone ever named Lynn was born in this single decade.
1956
Single peak year
7,736 babies were named Lynn in 1956 - its busiest year on record.
How Lynn compares
182,387 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Lynn's all-time total is 477x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Lynn | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 182,387 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 7,736 | 48 | 19,840 |
Lynn's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Lynn splits its recorded history at 1958: 52% of all births land in the more recent half, 48% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1880 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1956 peak of 7,736 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Lynn at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1956
Current rank
#2,798
Active since
1880
Lynn popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1956)
- 7,736
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Lynn popularity over time - boys
52,391 total births recorded since 1880 (Lynn as boys' name)
Lynn by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Lynn's strongest decade.
66,049 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Lynn births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 15
1880s
15 births
- 1890s 46
1890s
46 births
- 1900s 121
1900s
121 births
- 1910s 444
1910s
444 births
- 1920s 896
1920s
896 births
- 1930s 3,987
1930s
3,987 births
- 1940s
1940s
29,387 births
- 1950s
1950s
66,049 births
- 1960s
1960s
51,931 births
- 1970s 17,609
1970s
17,609 births
- 1980s 6,778
1980s
6,778 births
- 1990s 2,479
1990s
2,479 births
- 2000s 1,336
2000s
1,336 births
- 2010s 927
2010s
927 births
- 2020s 382
2020s
382 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 66,049 births (36% of all-time use).
How Lynn 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 Lynn's total volume
Lynn vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Lynn by state
Where Lynn concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 22,089 | 12.1% |
| #2 | California | | 14,942 | 8.2% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 13,641 | 7.5% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 12,521 | 6.9% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 10,886 | 6.0% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 9,967 | 5.5% |
| #7 | Wisconsin | | 9,465 | 5.2% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 8,555 | 4.7% |
New York share of Lynn's total US births 12.1%
Even split
22,089 of 182,387 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Lynn appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Lynn? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 182,387 babies named Lynn. Today it holds rank #2798 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1956, with 7,736 births.
When was Lynn most popular? ▼
Lynn was most popular in the 1950s decade with 66,049 total births. The single peak year was 1956.
Where is Lynn most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Lynn are New York (22,089 births), California (14,942 births), Illinois (13,641 births).
Is Lynn a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Lynn is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 182,387 births, and as a boy's name it has 52,391 births.
How long has the name Lynn been used? ▼
Records for Lynn go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Lynn? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Lynda, Lynne, Lynette, Lynnette, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Lynn's data
- Lynn's decade-level peak was the 1950s (66,049 total births); usage has since declined to 382 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Lynns (22,089 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Lynn
Nearby Names Like Lynn
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Lynn
Lynda Girl
#9565 77,979 births
Lynne Girl
#13549 61,957 births
Lynette Girl
#2725 43,392 births
Lynnette Girl
#7994 15,226 births
Lyndsey Girl
#7685 14,388 births
Compare Lynn side by side: Lynn vs Lynda Lynn vs Lynne Lynn vs Lynette
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Lynn
Vanellope #2797
840 births · Peak 2019
Carlota #2799
2,460 births · Peak 2023
Zayleigh #2796
925 births · Peak 2019
Suzanna #2800
9,648 births · Peak 1973
Kenzlee #2795
1,638 births · Peak 2018
Colleen #2801
162,754 births · Peak 1964
Zayah #2794
835 births · Peak 2021
Darcie #2802
5,753 births · Peak 1971
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Lynn: #2798 Unisex Name - 182,387 Births, Peak 1956." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/lynn. 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 Lynn 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.