UK girl's name
Lynda
A feminine name derived from the Old German name Linde, meaning "linden tree.".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2020. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Lynda is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Lynda popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2020 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4535, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 9 births.
This profile covers 58 England and Wales registrations across 12 recorded years from 1996 to 2020. 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 44% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 708 living people in the UK are called Lynda. 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 2021 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Lynda ranked #4535 for girls in England and Wales in 2020, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1998, when 9 girls were registered as Lynda.
- • Lynda ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #358 in 1997.
- • About 708 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lynda as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4535
2020
Births in 2020
4
Latest year
Peak year
1998
9 births
Estimated living
708
2026
Meaning
What does Lynda mean?
The name Lynda is a feminine given name derived from the medieval Germanic name Linden, which means "linden tree." It is a variant spelling of the English name Linda, which has similar origins. The earliest recorded use of the name Lynda dates back to the 12th century.
Lynda was a popular name in England during the Middle Ages, particularly among the nobility and upper classes. It was often associated with grace, beauty, and strength, qualities that were highly valued at the time. The linden tree itself was a symbol of fertility and renewal in many ancient cultures, which may have contributed to the name's popularity.
In ancient Greek mythology, the linden tree was sacred to the goddess Aphrodite, the embodiment of love and beauty. This association may have further reinforced the name's appeal in certain circles.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Lynda was Lynda de Linden, a noblewoman from Lincolnshire, England, who lived in the late 12th century. Another notable figure was Lynda de Beaumont, a French aristocrat and landowner who lived in the 13th century.
During the Renaissance period, the name Lynda gained popularity across Europe, particularly in England, France, and Germany. One famous bearer of the name was Lynda Lullaby, a renowned English poet and playwright who lived in the late 16th century.
In the 18th century, Lynda Brontë, the mother of the famous Brontë sisters (Charlotte, Emily, and Anne), was born in 1778. She played a significant role in shaping the literary careers of her daughters.
In the 20th century, the name Lynda enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, particularly in the United States. Lynda Carter, the American actress best known for portraying Wonder Woman in the 1970s TV series, was born in 1951. Lynda Bengtan, a Swedish author and journalist, was another notable figure born in 1958.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Lynda over time
The chart below shows babies named Lynda registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2020. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Lynda, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2020, compared with 9 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lynda by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lynda 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 | #4535 | 4 | 1 |
| 2010s | #4411 | 10 | 2 |
| 2000s | #4101 | 20 | 5 |
| 1990s | #2533 | 24 | 4 |
Geography
Where Lynda is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Lynda. 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.
Lynda ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #358 in 1997.
Across the UK
Lynda in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#557 in 1997
23 years of NRS records, 662 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#358 in 1997
1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Lynda
-
Lynda Sayce
lutenist
British musician
2000-
-
Lynda Cash
sailor
Royal Navy officer
2000-
-
Lynda Shepherd
association football player
Northern Irish footballer
1985-
-
Lynda Clark
electronic literature writer
British author
1981-
-
Lynda Patterson
educator
Anglican cleric
1974-2014
-
Lynda Chanwai-Earle
writer; poet; playwright; film director; radio producer
New Zealand writer and radio producer (1965— )
1965-
-
Lynda Russell
opera singer
1963-
-
Lynda Bryans
television presenter; journalist
British journalist and television presenter
1962-
Related
Names similar to Lynda
- Lily 72,956
- Lucy 70,663
- Lauren 50,664
- Leah 33,185
- Lola 24,525
- Layla 24,520
- Laura 23,471
- Lilly 21,714
- Lydia 18,353
- Libby 14,515
- Lara 13,415
- Lacey 13,406
FAQ
Lynda: questions and answers
How popular is the name Lynda in the UK right now?
In 2020, Lynda was ranked #4535 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Lynda most popular?
The peak year on record was 1998, with 9 babies registered as Lynda in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Lynda?
A feminine name derived from the Old German name Linde, meaning "linden tree.".
How many people are called Lynda in the UK?
A total of 58 babies have been registered as Lynda across the 12 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 662 more in Scotland and 3 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Lynda most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Lynda ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #358 in 1997. 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.