UK boy's name
Lincoln
Old English name meaning "lake colony", from linn meaning "waterfall or lake".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Lincoln is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Lincoln popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #260, with 180 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2017, with 593 births.
This profile covers 5,622 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 30% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 5,828 living people in the UK are called Lincoln. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Lincoln ranked #260 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 180 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2017, when 593 boys were registered as Lincoln.
- • Lincoln ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #339 in 2024.
- • About 5,828 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lincoln as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#260
2024
Births in 2024
180
Latest year
Peak year
2017
593 births
Estimated living
5,828
2026
Meaning
What does Lincoln mean?
The name Lincoln has its origins in the Old English language and dates back to the 9th century. It is derived from the Old English words "linca" meaning "lake" and "coln" meaning "colony" or "settlement". The name was originally a geographical term referring to a settlement near a lake or body of water.
In the Middle Ages, Lincoln became a popular name in England, particularly in the regions around the city of Lincoln. The city itself was named after the Old English word "Lincolne" meaning "colony by the lake". The name was commonly used among the Anglo-Saxon population and grew in popularity during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Lincoln can be found in the Domesday Book, a detailed survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book lists several individuals with the name Lincoln, indicating its widespread use at that time.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the name Lincoln. One of the most famous is Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), the 16th President of the United States, who played a pivotal role in abolishing slavery and preserving the Union during the American Civil War.
Another well-known Lincoln was Benjamin Lincoln (1733-1810), an American Revolutionary War general who served under George Washington and played a crucial role in the Siege of Yorktown, which led to the surrender of British forces and ultimately American independence.
In the realm of literature, Abraham Lincoln Gillespie (1895-1950) was an American writer and journalist known for his works on the American West and his collaborations with the famous photographer Edward Weston.
In the field of science, Abraham Lincoln Katzenstein (1923-2012) was a prominent American geologist and professor at the University of Texas at Austin, known for his contributions to the study of structural geology and tectonics.
Finally, Lincoln Christopher Alexander (1922-2012) was a Canadian architect and urban planner who played a significant role in shaping the modern cities of Canada, including the design of the National Capital Region in Ottawa.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Lincoln, a name with deep roots in Old English and a rich historical legacy.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Lincoln over time
The chart below shows babies named Lincoln registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Lincoln, the clearest high point is 2017. The latest England and Wales figure is 180 births in 2024, compared with 593 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lincoln by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lincoln was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #205 | 1,319 | 5 |
| 2010s | #181 | 3,521 | 10 |
| 2000s | #819 | 743 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1299 | 39 | 4 |
Geography
Where Lincoln is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Lincoln. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Lincoln ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #339 in 2024.
Across the UK
Lincoln in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#478 in 2024
15 years of NRS records, 154 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#339 in 2024
15 years of NISRA records, 86 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Lincoln
-
Lincoln McFayden
association football player
English footballer
2002-
-
Lincoln Birch
golfer
professional golfer
1978-
-
Lincoln Jean-Marie
singer
British singer
1976-
-
Lincoln Townley
painter
artist
1972-
-
Lincoln Kennedy
American football player
All-American college football player, professional football player, offensive lineman
1971-
-
Lincoln Jopp
politician
Member of Parliament for Spelthorne
1968-
-
Lincoln Asquith
athletics competitor
British athletics competitor
1964-
-
Lincoln Seligman
barrister; painter; sculptor
British artist
1950-
Related
Names similar to Lincoln
- Luke 72,247
- Lewis 69,555
- Leo 63,249
- Liam 60,482
- Lucas 49,061
- Logan 40,771
- Louis 35,898
- Luca 30,323
- Louie 24,242
- Leon 22,308
- Levi 9,931
- Lee 7,861
FAQ
Lincoln: questions and answers
How popular is the name Lincoln in the UK right now?
In 2024, Lincoln was ranked #260 for boys in England and Wales, with 180 births registered.
When was Lincoln most popular?
The peak year on record was 2017, with 593 babies registered as Lincoln in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Lincoln?
Old English name meaning "lake colony", from linn meaning "waterfall or lake".
How many people are called Lincoln in the UK?
A total of 5,622 babies have been registered as Lincoln across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 154 more in Scotland and 86 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Lincoln most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Lincoln ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #339 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.