Girl · #1,401 in 2026

Lindsey

Lindsay is both an English and Scottish surname and a given name. The given name comes from the Scottish surname and clan name, which comes from the toponym Lindsey, which in turn comes from the Old English toponym Lindesege for the city of Lincoln, in which Lind is the original Brittonic form of the name of Lincoln and island refers to Lincoln being an island in the surrounding fenland.

Current Rank
#1,401
Peak Rank
#35 (1984)
Total Babies
158K
5-Yr Trend
-36%
1924
First Year
2026
Last Year
1984
Peak Year
#35
Peak Rank
158K
Total Count
88
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Lindsey

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Lindsay is both an English and Scottish surname and a given name. The given name comes from the Scottish surname and clan name, which comes from the toponym Lindsey, which in turn comes from the Old English toponym Lindesege for the city of Lincoln, in which Lind is the original Brittonic form of the name of Lincoln and island refers to Lincoln being an island in the surrounding fenland.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Lindsey

Lindsey first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1924, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1984, when 9,006 Lindseys were born — ranking #35 that year. As of 2026, Lindsey ranks #1,401 for baby girls with 159 births, falling sharply (-36%). In total, more than 158K Lindseys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Lindsey

Phonetically similar names — useful when Lindsey is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Lindsey

What does the name Lindsey mean?
Lindsay is both an English and Scottish surname and a given name. The given name comes from the Scottish surname and clan name, which comes from the toponym Lindsey, which in turn comes from the Old English toponym Lindesege for the city of Lincoln, in which Lind is the original Brittonic form of the name of Lincoln and island refers to Lincoln being an island in the surrounding fenland.
How popular is Lindsey in 2026?
In 2026, Lindsey ranks #1,401 among girls' names in the U.S., with 159 babies given the name that year.
When was Lindsey most popular?
Lindsey reached its peak popularity in 1984, ranking #35 that year with 9,006 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Lindsey most popular?
Lindsey has historically been most popular in North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Lindsey.
Is Lindsey a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Lindsey is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Lindsey?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Lindsey include Jane, Connie, Carole. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Jane
Peak #35
👧
Connie
Peak #35
👧
Carole
Peak #35
👧
Tara
Peak #35
👧
Jessie
Peak #34
👧
Lula
Peak #36
👧
Beatrice
Peak #36
👧
Gail
Peak #36

About the name Lindsey

Lindsey is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1924 and has accumulated 158K births in the dataset. Lindsey's peak popularity came in 1984 when it ranked #35. Use the chart and map above to compare Lindsey's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.