UK girl's name
Lynne
Typically derived from a Scottish surname referring to a place near a waterfall or pool.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2013. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Lynne is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Lynne popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2013 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5742, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2008, with 5 births.
This profile covers 28 England and Wales registrations across 7 recorded years from 1996 to 2013. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 60% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 3,478 living people in the UK are called Lynne. 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 2014 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Lynne ranked #5742 for girls in England and Wales in 2013, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2008, when 5 girls were registered as Lynne.
- • Lynne ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #629 in 2000.
- • About 3,478 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lynne as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5742
2013
Births in 2013
3
Latest year
Peak year
2008
5 births
Estimated living
3,478
2026
Meaning
What does Lynne mean?
The name Lynne originated from the Old German name Linden, which means "linden tree". It first appeared in the English language during the Middle Ages, around the 12th century. The earliest recorded spelling was Linn, which later evolved into Lynne.
Lynne was a popular name among the Anglo-Saxons and was often given to children born near linden trees or in areas where these trees were abundant. The linden tree held significant symbolic meaning in various European cultures, representing strength, resilience, and protection.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lynne can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This document mentions a landowner named Lynne, who held property in the county of Lincolnshire.
In the 14th century, the name gained further prominence with the birth of Lynne de Lyle, a prominent English noblewoman and landowner. She was known for her involvement in various political and legal disputes during the reign of Edward III.
During the Renaissance period, the name Lynne was associated with several notable figures. One of them was Lynne Bradstreet, a Puritan poet who lived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 17th century. Born in 1612, she is considered one of the earliest English poets in North America.
Another noteworthy individual with the name Lynne was Lynne Cheney, an American writer and former Second Lady of the United States. Born in 1941, she is known for her contributions to the fields of education and literature.
In the realm of literature, Lynne Reid Banks, a British writer born in 1929, gained recognition for her children's novels, including the acclaimed "The Indian in the Cupboard" series.
Lynne Truss, a British writer and journalist born in 1955, is famous for her best-selling book "Eats, Shoots & Leaves," a humorous guide on punctuation and grammar.
Lastly, Lynne Thigpen, an American actress and singer born in 1948, is remembered for her roles in various television shows and films, including her performance as "The Chief" on the sitcom "Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?"
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Lynne over time
The chart below shows babies named Lynne registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2013. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Lynne, the clearest high point is 2008. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2013, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lynne by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lynne 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4896 | 8 | 2 |
| 2000s | #3914 | 13 | 3 |
| 1990s | #3487 | 7 | 2 |
Geography
Where Lynne is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Lynne. 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.
Lynne ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #629 in 2000.
Across the UK
Lynne in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#629 in 2000
26 years of NRS records, 3,527 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Lynne
-
Lynne Hutchison
rhythmic gymnast
British rhythmic gymnast
1994-
-
Lynne Whitehead
bowls player
English lawn bowler
1973-
-
Lynne Wilson
swimmer
British swimmer
1969-
-
Lynne Marsh
artist; video artist
Canadian artist (born 1969)
1969-
-
Lynne Ramsay
screenwriter; cinematographer; film director; film producer; director
Scottish film director, writer, producer, and cinematographer (born 1969)
1969-
-
Lynne Robinson
athletics competitor
British athletics competitor
1969-
-
Lynne Neagle
politician
Welsh Labour & Co-operative politician and Member of the Senedd for Torfaen
1968-
-
Lynne Murphy
author; linguist
American linguist
1965-
Related
Names similar to Lynne
- 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
Lynne: questions and answers
How popular is the name Lynne in the UK right now?
In 2013, Lynne was ranked #5742 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Lynne most popular?
The peak year on record was 2008, with 5 babies registered as Lynne in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Lynne?
Typically derived from a Scottish surname referring to a place near a waterfall or pool.
How many people are called Lynne in the UK?
A total of 28 babies have been registered as Lynne across the 7 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3,527 more in Scotland.
Where is Lynne most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Lynne ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #629 in 2000. 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.