NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Lyndsay

A feminine name with Scots-English origins meaning "the linden tree valley".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2008. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Lyndsay is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Lyndsay popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2008 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4524, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 12 births.

This profile covers 43 England and Wales registrations across 8 recorded years from 1996 to 2008. 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 33% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 1,376 living people in the UK are called Lyndsay. 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 2009 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Lyndsay ranked #4524 for girls in England and Wales in 2008, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1996, when 12 girls were registered as Lyndsay.
  • Lyndsay ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #358 in 1997.
  • About 1,376 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lyndsay as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4524

2008

Births in 2008

4

Latest year

Peak year

1996

12 births

Estimated living

1,376

2026

Meaning

What does Lyndsay mean?

The name Lyndsay is of English origin, derived from the name of an English town called Lindsey or Lindsai. This town was located in the county of Lincolnshire, England, and its name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "lind," meaning "lime tree," and "ey," meaning "island."

The name Lyndsay was initially used as a surname, referring to people who came from the town of Lindsey or Lindsai. It was not until the Middle Ages that the name began to be used as a given name, primarily for males. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lyndsay as a given name dates back to the 12th century, when a Scottish nobleman named Lyndsay of Ercildoun was mentioned in historical records.

In the 13th century, a Scottish knight named Sir James Lyndsay fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence alongside William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. He was renowned for his bravery and loyalty to the Scottish cause. In the 14th century, another notable figure named Sir David Lyndsay served as the Lord Lyon King of Arms in Scotland.

Over time, the name Lyndsay became more commonly used as a feminine given name, particularly in English-speaking countries. One of the earliest known women to bear the name Lyndsay was Lady Lyndsay of Crawford, who lived in Scotland during the 15th century.

In literature, the name Lyndsay has been used for various characters, including Lyndsay Grandish, a character in Jane Austen's novel "Persuasion," published in 1817. Another famous literary figure named Lyndsay is the protagonist of the novel "The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders" by Daniel Defoe, published in 1722.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have been named Lyndsay, including:

1. Lyndsay Wagner (born 1949), an American actress known for her roles in television shows like "The Bionic Woman" and "The Six Million Dollar Man." 2. Lyndsay Bridgwood (born 1960), a Canadian actress and voice artist who has worked in films, television shows, and video games. 3. Lyndsay Lamb (born 1992), a Canadian actress known for her roles in television series like "The Best Years" and "The Killing." 4. Lyndsay Arrington (born 1979), an American soccer player who played as a midfielder for the United States women's national soccer team. 5. Lyndsay Faye (born 1976), an American novelist and author of historical crime fiction, best known for her novel "The Gods of Gotham."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Lyndsay over time

The chart below shows babies named Lyndsay registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2008. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Lyndsay, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2008, compared with 12 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Lyndsay
036912199620022008

Decades

Lyndsay by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lyndsay 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
2000s #4361 14 4
1990s #2464 29 4

Geography

Where Lyndsay is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Lyndsay. 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.

Lyndsay ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #358 in 1997.

Northern Ireland
3
Scotland
3

Across the UK

Lyndsay in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#687 in 2005

32 years of NRS records, 1,352 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#358 in 1997

1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Lyndsay

  • Lyndsay Hugh Morgan

    Welsh Senior RAF Warrant Officer

    2000-

  • Lyndsay Corry

    association football player

    association football player (born 1987)

    1987-

  • Lyndsay Clarkson

    basketball player

    Scottish basketball player (born 1980)

    1980-

  • Lyndsay McIntosh

    politician

    British politician (born 1955)

    1955-

Related

Names similar to Lyndsay

FAQ

Lyndsay: questions and answers

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

In 2008, Lyndsay was ranked #4524 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Lyndsay most popular?

The peak year on record was 1996, with 12 babies registered as Lyndsay in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Lyndsay?

A feminine name with Scots-English origins meaning "the linden tree valley".

How many people are called Lyndsay in the UK?

A total of 43 babies have been registered as Lyndsay across the 8 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 1,352 more in Scotland and 3 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Lyndsay most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Lyndsay 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.