NameCensus.

UK surname

Linn

A Scottish and Irish topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a waterfall, pool, or lake.

In the 1881 census there were 679 people recorded with the Linn surname, ranking it #5,302 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 438, ranked #11,028, down from #5,302 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, West Berkshire and Drumry East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Linn is 791 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 35.5%.

1881 census count

679

Ranked #5,302

Modern count

438

2016, ranked #11,028

Peak year

1891

791 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Linn had 679 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,302 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 438 in 2016, ranked #11,028.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 791 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Linn surname distribution map

The map shows where the Linn surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Linn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Linn over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 604 #4,255
1861 historical 662 #4,050
1881 historical 679 #5,302
1891 historical 791 #5,081
1901 historical 764 #5,853
1911 historical 306 #11,281
1997 modern 478 #9,627
1998 modern 480 #9,909
1999 modern 474 #10,055
2000 modern 448 #10,477
2001 modern 423 #10,757
2002 modern 431 #10,820
2003 modern 416 #10,941
2004 modern 420 #10,889
2005 modern 402 #11,137
2006 modern 384 #11,579
2007 modern 379 #11,854
2008 modern 388 #11,745
2009 modern 421 #11,246
2010 modern 437 #11,165
2011 modern 427 #11,243
2012 modern 423 #11,195
2013 modern 443 #10,968
2014 modern 453 #10,830
2015 modern 438 #11,055
2016 modern 438 #11,028

Geography

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Where Linns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, London parishes, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, West Berkshire, Drumry East, Durno-Chapel of Garioch and North Somerset. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 004 Doncaster
2 West Berkshire 002 West Berkshire
3 Drumry East Glasgow City
4 Durno-Chapel of Garioch Aberdeenshire
5 North Somerset 001 North Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Linn

These lists show first names that appear often with the Linn surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Linn

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Linn, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Linn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Linn household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Linn is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Linn is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Linn falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Linn is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Linn, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Linn

The surname Linn is believed to have originated in Scotland and England. It is derived from the Old English word "linn," which means a waterfall, cascade, or torrent. The name is likely to have originated from someone who lived near a waterfall or a river with a waterfall.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 12th century in Scotland. In 1214, a charter from King William the Lion mentions a "William de Linn" who was granted lands near the River Tyne in East Lothian, Scotland. This suggests that the name was already established in Scotland by the early 13th century.

In England, the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Linna" or "de Linne." This indicates that the name was present in England even before the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Domesday Book entries suggest that the name was derived from place names like Linn in Dorset or Linn in Norfolk.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is Radulfus de Linn, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland in 1197. Another early bearer of the name was Adam de Linn, who was granted lands in Renfrewshire, Scotland, by King Alexander II in 1226.

The name Linn has been associated with several notable historical figures. Sir Walter Linn (1590-1662) was a Scottish merchant and politician who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1652 to 1654. John Linn (1763-1805) was a Scottish botanist and explorer who documented the flora of the American Southeast.

Other notable individuals with the surname Linn include:

1. James Linn (1750-1820), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey. 2. William Linn (1752-1808), an American Presbyterian minister and educator who co-founded the Presbyterian Church in Western Pennsylvania. 3. Archibald Linn (1802-1857), a Scottish-American portrait painter known for his portraits of prominent figures in the American South. 4. John Blair Linn (1777-1804), an American naval officer who served during the Quasi-War with France and the First Barbary War. 5. Lewis Fields Linn (1795-1843), an American physician and politician who served as a U.S. Senator from Missouri and advocated for the exploration and settlement of the American West.

The surname Linn has also been associated with various place names, such as Linn County in Iowa, Linn Creek in Missouri, and Linn Grove in Iowa, among others.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Linn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Linn surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 134 Linns recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.22x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 134 6.22x
Midlothian 74 8.29x
Middlesex 71 1.07x
Essex 50 3.80x
Renfrewshire 44 8.52x
Angus 34 5.51x
Dumfriesshire 29 19.70x
Stirlingshire 26 10.58x
Northumberland 23 2.32x
Yorkshire 23 0.35x
Durham 20 1.01x
Lancashire 18 0.23x
West Lothian 17 16.94x
Surrey 16 0.49x
Ayrshire 15 3.01x
Cumberland 9 1.57x
Sussex 9 0.80x
Dunbartonshire 8 4.47x
Fife 8 2.03x
Suffolk 7 0.86x
Channel Islands 6 3.04x
Devon 5 0.36x
East Lothian 5 5.67x
Lincolnshire 4 0.38x
Staffordshire 4 0.18x
Argyllshire 3 1.62x
Berkshire 3 0.60x
Caithness 3 3.29x
Kent 3 0.13x
Banffshire 2 1.45x
Cheshire 1 0.07x
Dorset 1 0.23x
Glamorgan 1 0.09x
Hampshire 1 0.07x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 1.04x
Oxfordshire 1 0.24x
Perthshire 1 0.33x
Somerset 1 0.09x
Wigtownshire 1 1.13x
Wiltshire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 47 Linns recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.82x.

Place Total Index
Govan 47 8.82x
Glasgow 40 10.45x
Great Baddow 26 555.56x
West Calder 23 130.76x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 20 5.57x
Barony 19 3.48x
Abbey 15 19.04x
Bromley London 15 10.23x
East Greenock 14 28.71x
Hoddam 13 366.20x
South Leith 13 12.94x
Uphall 13 117.86x
Dundee 12 5.21x
Kilsyth 12 76.58x
Mains 12 228.57x
Horndon On Hill 11 814.81x
St Pancras London 10 1.86x
Cambusnethan 9 18.80x
Liverpool 9 1.87x
Newington 9 3.66x
Cathcart 8 28.63x
Islington London 8 1.24x
Larbert 8 54.46x
Middlesbrough 8 9.31x
St Marylebone London 8 2.25x
Bedlington 7 21.15x
Bishopwearmouth 7 4.11x
Glemsford 7 122.81x
Hamilton 7 11.65x
Limehouse London 7 9.57x
St Mungo 7 463.58x
Elswick 6 7.58x
Liff Benvie 6 6.40x
Old Kilpatrick 6 28.36x
Ruswarp 6 81.74x
Salford 6 2.58x
Shoreditch London 6 2.08x
St Helier 6 9.34x
Anstruther Easter 5 175.44x
Brighton 5 2.21x
Duddingston 5 27.90x
Middlebie 5 113.12x
Poplar London 5 3.98x
Rickergate 5 41.19x
Shalford 5 301.20x
Stoke Newington London 5 9.63x
Ardrossan 4 23.18x
Biggar 4 82.14x
Cummersdale 4 204.08x
Denny 4 30.60x
Edinburgh St Stephens 4 22.77x
Haddington 4 30.70x
Kilwinning 4 24.84x
Paisley Middle Church 4 13.31x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 3.74x
Shettleston 4 20.74x
Westgate 4 6.52x
Westoe 4 3.56x
Bethnal Green London 3 1.04x
Bishop Auckland 3 11.28x
Camberwell 3 0.70x
Campbeltown 3 13.41x
Corringham 3 176.47x
Edinburgh Trinity 3 104.53x
Falsgrave 3 30.83x
Kirkliston 3 51.28x
Ratho 3 72.12x
Reading St Giles 3 6.12x
West Ham 3 1.03x
Dysart 2 7.53x
East Grinstead 2 12.58x
Gorbals 2 15.64x
Handsworth 2 3.61x
Keith 2 13.58x
Kilmarnock 2 3.37x
Middle Greenock 2 14.19x
Newcastle On Tyne St 2 3.89x
St Luke London 2 1.87x
Sutton Stoneferry 2 10.59x
Wick 2 6.79x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Linn surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 20
Elizabeth 15
Jane 9
Sarah 9
Annie 8
Eliza 8
Ellen 6
Caroline 5
Emma 5
Alice 4
Edith 4
Susan 4
Ann 3
Catherine 3
Frances 3
Margaret 3
Florence 2
Isabella 2
Louisa 2
Martha 2
Agnes 1
Constance 1
Dorothy 1
Eleanor 1
Elexabeth 1
Elizth. 1
Faith 1
Fanny 1
Florry 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Hellen 1
Henrietta 1
Jessie 1
Johanna 1
Levina 1
Lilian 1
Lilly 1
Lily 1
Louise 1
Marga 1
Marion 1
Maryann 1
Minnie 1
Pauline 1
Rachael 1
Selia 1
Sophia 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Linn surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 14
William 12
George 11
James 10
Thomas 10
Charles 5
Joseph 5
Robert 4
Peter 3
Walter 3
Alexander 2
Alfred 2
Anthony 2
David 2
Edgar 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Geo. 2
Henry 2
Julius 2
Nicholas 2
Samuel 2
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
Daniel 1
Edwin 1
Elijah 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Isaac 1
Joeseph 1
Jonathan 1
Lawerance 1
Leonard 1
Lionel 1
Louis 1
Marcus 1
Mark 1
Maurice 1
Michal 1
Patrick 1
Percy 1
Simon 1
Sydney 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Hy. 1
Wm.Jno. 1

FAQ

Linn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Linn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 679 people were recorded with the Linn surname. That placed it at #5,302 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Linn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 438 in 2016. That gives Linn a modern rank of #11,028.

What does the Linn surname mean?

A Scottish and Irish topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a waterfall, pool, or lake.

What does the Linn map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Linn bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.