NameCensus.

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

Lincoln
0148297445593199620102024

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.

Scotland
6
Northern Ireland
4

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

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.