How Many People Are Named Lindley?
An estimated 1,185 people in the United States have the first name Lindley. It is used for both genders, with 61.1% female. The average bearer is 35 years old, and Lindley peaked in popularity in 1988 with 91 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Lindley as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Lindley paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- Lindley has undergone a significant gender shift. Originally given predominantly to boys, it is now more commonly a girls' name.
- Lindley is a genuinely unisex name, given to both boys and girls in roughly equal numbers.
Estimated Living Americans
1,185
About 1 in 289,244 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Female
61.1% confidence
Average Age
35
years old
Peak Year
1988
91 births
Total Registered
1,615
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Lindley
Lindley is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (38.9%) and females (61.1%). Out of 1,615 total births registered, 628 were male and 987 were female.
Lindley as a male name
Ranked #8,703 in 1989
5 male births in 1989
Peak: 1920 (17 births)
Lindley as a female name
Ranked #7,414 in 2024
15 female births in 2024
Peak: 1988 (91 births)
Lindley in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 1,300 people with the first name Lindley, which placed it at #10,318 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Lindley was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 1,300 people with this name in that snapshot, 30.9% were male and 69.1% were female. That is more heavily female than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 61.1% female.
Census Count
1,300
people with this name
Census Rank
#10,318
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.43
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Lindley was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (86.61%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (4.70%) and Two or More Races (3.39%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Lindley in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Lindley.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 86.61% | 1,125 |
| Black | 4.70% | 61 |
| Two or More Races | 3.39% | 44 |
| Hispanic | 2.54% | 33 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 2.23% | 29 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.54% | 7 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Lindley: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Lindley span from the 1890s to the 2020s, covering 14 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2010s, when 283 babies were registered. While Lindley is less common than at its peak in the 2010s, it remains a well-established name with steady registrations.
Lindley by Decade
How has Lindley tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Lindley by State
Birth registrations for Lindley span all 9 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Texas, Pennsylvania, California. The lowest are in Virginia, Alabama, Ohio. On average, about 11 Lindleys were registered per state.
Lindley + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Lindley as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Lindley
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
Lindley: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lindley?
We estimate approximately 1,185 people named Lindley are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 289,244 Americans share this first name.
Is Lindley a common name?
Lindley is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 91.2% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 1,615 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Lindley most popular?
Lindley reached peak popularity in 1988, when 91 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Lindley is approximately 35 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Lindley in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 1,300 people with the first name Lindley. That placed it at #10,318 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.43 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Lindley was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Lindley?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Lindley was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 30.9% male and 69.1% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Lindley?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Lindley was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (86.61%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (4.70%) and Two or More Races (3.39%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Lindley a female name?
Lindley is predominantly female. 61.1% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Lindley have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Lindley peaked in 1988, and the average living bearer is about 35 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Lindley Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Lindley Smith, Lindley Johnson, Lindley Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
Search for a full name combination
How Many of Me