NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Lyna

Pure, bright, or beautiful bright one.

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.

Lyna is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Lyna popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4843, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2017, with 9 births.

This profile covers 86 England and Wales registrations across 18 recorded years from 2002 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 44% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 86 living people in the UK are called Lyna. 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

  • Lyna ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2017, when 9 girls were registered as Lyna.
  • About 86 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lyna as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4843

2024

Births in 2024

4

Latest year

Peak year

2017

9 births

Estimated living

86

2026

Meaning

What does Lyna mean?

The name Lyna is believed to have originated from Scandinavian languages, particularly Old Norse. It is derived from the Old Norse word "lind" which means "lime tree" or "linden tree". The name may have initially been used as a reference to someone who lived near a linden tree or a grove of these trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lyna can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of stories and historical records from medieval Iceland. In the Saga of Grettir the Strong, written in the 13th century, there is a character named Lyna who is mentioned as a wise and respected woman.

During the Viking Age, between the 8th and 11th centuries, the name Lyna may have been relatively common among Scandinavian women. As Vikings explored and settled in various parts of Europe, the name likely spread to other regions as well.

In the 12th century, a Norwegian noblewoman named Lyna Erlingsdottir is recorded as having held significant influence and authority in the region of Trøndelag. She was known for her strong leadership and involvement in political affairs.

Another notable historical figure with the name Lyna was Lyna Jónsdóttir, an Icelandic poet and scholar who lived in the 15th century. She was renowned for her skill in composing poetic verses and her deep knowledge of Icelandic literature and mythology.

In the 16th century, Lyna Gisladottir was a prominent Icelandic woman who played a significant role in the preservation and transmission of traditional Icelandic folktales and oral traditions. Her contributions were instrumental in maintaining the cultural heritage of Iceland.

While the name Lyna has its roots in Scandinavian languages, it has since been adopted and used in various parts of the world, albeit with varying degrees of popularity and cultural significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Lyna over time

The chart below shows babies named Lyna registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2002 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 Lyna, the clearest high point is 2017. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 9 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Lyna
02579200220132024

Decades

Lyna by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lyna 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 #4087 15 3
2010s #4031 39 7
2000s #4176 32 8

Related

Names similar to Lyna

FAQ

Lyna: questions and answers

How popular is the name Lyna in the UK right now?

In 2024, Lyna was ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Lyna most popular?

The peak year on record was 2017, with 9 babies registered as Lyna in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Lyna?

Pure, bright, or beautiful bright one.

How many people are called Lyna in the UK?

A total of 86 babies have been registered as Lyna across the 18 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

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.