Lin
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Lin
Concise, multicultural, and well travelled, Lin is a deceptively simple looking choice with its roots in a variety of languages.
Lin for girls#12636 US
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!
Lin for boys
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.
Pronounced LIN.
As of October 2026, Lin ranked #12636 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #1667 in 1952.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
World rankings
Lin for boys
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Lin.
Lin on lists
Famous Lins
- LinGirl
Manuel Miranda, Amerian (male) composer/lyricist and actor
- Linlin (born Qian Lin)Girl
Chinese pop singer and producer
Lin in pop culture
- Lin HuaGirl
character in the "Sims" series
- Lin BeifongGirl
character on the television show "Legend of Korra"
- LinGirl
character in the webcomic "Drugs and Wires"
- LinGirl
male character in The King of Fighters video game
- Hay LinGirl
the Guardian of Air in "W.I.T.C.H.," a comic book series and animated series
- LinGirl
a common Chinese surname