How Many People Are Named Lynn?
An estimated 160,047 people in the United States have the first name Lynn. While not in the top 50, it remains a well-known name ranking #334 overall. It is used for both genders, with 77.7% female. The average bearer is 65 years old, and Lynn peaked in popularity in 1956 with 8,989 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Lynn as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, and state-by-state birth registrations. You can also check how many people share the full name Lynn paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- Lynn has undergone a significant gender shift. Originally given predominantly to boys, it is now more commonly a girls' name.
- Lynn has fallen dramatically from its peak in the 1950s. Recent registrations are less than 5% of what they were at the name's height.
Estimated Living Americans
160,047
About 1 in 2,142 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Common
Predicted Gender
Female
77.7% confidence
Average Age
65
years old
Peak Year
1956
8,989 births
Total Registered
234,691
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Lynn
Lynn is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (22.3%) and females (77.7%). Out of 234,691 total births registered, 52,375 were male and 182,316 were female.
Lynn as a male name
Ranked #6,047 in 2024
15 male births in 2024
Peak: 1947 (1,781 births)
Lynn as a female name
Ranked #2,804 in 2024
60 female births in 2024
Peak: 1956 (7,736 births)
Lynn: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Lynn span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1950s, when 79,821 babies were registered. Lynn has declined significantly from its peak in the 1950s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Lynn by Decade
How has Lynn 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.
| Decade | Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 287 | 272 | 15 | |
| 1890s | 394 | 348 | 46 | |
| 1900s | 535 | 414 | 121 | |
| 1910s | 2,830 | 2,386 | 444 | |
| 1920s | 4,992 | 4,096 | 896 | |
| 1930s | 10,024 | 6,037 | 3,987 | |
| 1940s | 43,590 | 14,203 | 29,387 | |
| 1950s | 79,821 | 13,774 | 66,047 | |
| 1960s | 58,302 | 6,372 | 51,930 | |
| 1970s | 19,933 | 2,323 | 17,610 | |
| 1980s | 7,898 | 1,120 | 6,778 | |
| 1990s | 2,976 | 496 | 2,480 | |
| 2000s | 1,598 | 262 | 1,336 | |
| 2010s | 1,122 | 195 | 927 | |
| 2020s | 389 | 77 | 312 | |
Lynn by State
Birth registrations for Lynn span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in New York, California, Pennsylvania. The lowest are in Alaska, Nevada, Wyoming. On average, about 4,428 Lynns were registered per state.
Lynn + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Lynn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Lynn
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
Lynn: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lynn?
We estimate approximately 160,047 people named Lynn 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 2,142 Americans share this first name.
Is Lynn a common name?
Lynn is classified as "Common" and is more popular than 99.7% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 234,691 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Lynn most popular?
Lynn reached peak popularity in 1956, when 8,989 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Lynn is approximately 65 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is Lynn a female name?
Lynn is predominantly female. 77.7% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many Lynn Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Lynn Smith, Lynn Johnson, Lynn 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.
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