Lin
About Lin
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.
As of October 2026, Lin ranked #13399 in US births in 2024 SSA, peaked at #1233 in 1898.
Editor's take: The name Lin is a boy's name of Spanish, French, Russian origin meaning "forest; jade; bright, clear; flax".
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | — | 0 | 0 |