The name Lin is a boy's name of Spanish, French, Russian origin meaning "forest; jade; bright, clear; flax".

O Boy! The Best Boy Names Ending in O

Succinct and simple on the surface, Lin is a surprisingly complex name with a variety of different roots. As a Chinese name, it is a unisex option, connected to the color green. Pronounced as LEEN, it means "forest" or "green gem, fine jade" depending on the characters used.
 
As a Burmese name, it would be said to rhyme with pin or kin, and holds the meaning "clear, bright", while in French, Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, and occasionally Spanish, it is a variation of Linus, a Greek name meaning "flax". In this case, it would be said as LOH(n) in French, with that barely there n, while in Russian and Ukrainian, it would be LIHN.
 
Lin may occasionally be used as a spelling of the Welsh Lyn, meaning "lake", while as a feminine name, it has its roots in Korean ("luster of jade), Arabic ("soft, flexible"), and English ("pretty", "soft, flexible"). 
 
A notable male bearer of the name is writer, singer, actor, and filmmaker Lin-Manuel Miranda, famous for Hamilton, Moana and more. He was named for the poem Nana roja para mi hijo Lin Manuel ("Red Lullaby for My Son Lin Manuel") by the Puerto Rican writer José Manuel Torres Santiago, about the Vietnam War.

Multicultural Names

Unisex Names for Boys

Spanish

French

Russian

Bulgarian

Chinese

Ukrainian

The name Lin peaked for boys at #1233 in 1898. Lin is occasionally used for girls in 2025.

The name Lin is a girl's name of Arabic, English, Chinese origin meaning "forest; jade, green gem; soft, tender; clear, bright; neighbor; pretty, lake".

3 Letter Girl Names

Names Ending in N for Girls

One Syllable Names for Girls

Concise, multicultural, and well travelled, Lin is a deceptively simple looking choice with its roots in a variety of languages.
 
As a Chinese name, it is a unisex option, pronounced as LEEN, and typically attributed either the meaning "forest" or "fine jade, green gem", associating the name with the color green in both its transcriptions. From its Arabic roots however, it is a variation of the pretty Lina, meaning "soft, tender". As above, it would be pronounced as LEEN.
 
In Korean, Lin can mean "luster of jade", "neighbor" or "clear water" depending on what hanji symbol is used, and it this case, it would be said as LIHN, to rhyme with pin. As a Burmese name, it is a unisex option, meaning "clear, bright", again pronounced to rhyme with pin. 
 
In English, it is used as an alternative spelling to Lynn, or as a short form for the likes of Linette, Linnea, and so on. As such, it could mean "lake", from the Welsh llyn or "likeness, image, idol" from the Welsh eilun. Other sources could be the Scandinavian Elin meaning "bright, shining torch", Spanish Linda, meaning "pretty, beautiful", or the Germanic element lind meaning "soft, flexible, tender".
 
As we said, those three letters are deceptively simple! And to complicate matters further, it is also a form of Linus in a variety of languages!

Three Letter Names

Short Baby Names

Arabic

English

Korean

Nameberry

The name Lin peaked for girls at #1667 in 1952. Lin is occasionally used for boys in 2024.

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