ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 👦As Boy Name 2012 First Year 2024 Last Year 2023 Peak Year #7734 Peak Rank 82 Total Count 11 Years Active 👧As Girl Name 2016 First Year 2016 Last Year 2016 Peak Year #16210 Peak Rank 5 Total Count 1 Years Active Advertisement 🌍 ## Meaning & Origin of Linux What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. Linux is a family of free and open-source software Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, which was first released on 17 September 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux) 🏛️Origin & history Main articles: History of Linux , Free as in free beer , and Free software movement [![Wikipedia thumbnail for Linux](https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Tux.svg/330px-Tux.svg.png?utm_source=en.wikipedia.org&utm_campaign=api&utm_content=thumbnail)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux) 📖 ## The Story of Linux ### As a girl name American parents first put Linux on the record books as a girl name in 2016, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 5 Linuxs were born — ranking #16,210 that year. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2016 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 5 Linuxs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s. ### As a boy name American parents first put Linux on the record books as a boy name in 2012, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2023, when 10 Linuxs were born — ranking #7,734 that year. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 51% of all recorded Linuxs. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2024 (7 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 82 Linuxs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s. ## Popularity Over Time Girls Boys ## Popularity by State 👧 Girls 👦 Boys 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 Linux Phonetically similar names — useful when Linux is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * Linex * [Lennox](/lennox) * [Lenox](/lenox) * Linac * Clinics * Lummox * Links * [Lynx](/lynx) * Kleenex * [Linus](/linus) * [Lenis](/lenis) * Linx Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Linux What does the name Linux mean? Linux is a family of free and open-source software Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, which was first released on 17 September 1991 by Linus Torvalds. How popular is Linux in 2026? In 2026, Linux ranks #9,864 among boys' names in the U.S., with 7 babies given the name that year. When was Linux most popular? Linux reached its peak popularity in 2023, ranking #7,734 that year with 10 babies given the name. Is Linux a unisex name? Yes — Linux is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 6% of Linuxs assigned female and 94% assigned male historically. What names go well with Linux? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Linux include Sunday, Eno, Sunnie. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. ## Similar Names ### 👦 Similar Boy Names [👦SundayPeak #7734](/sunday)[👦EnoPeak #7734](/eno)[👦SunniePeak #7734](/sunnie)[👦SouthernPeak #7734](/southern) ### 👧 Similar Girl Names [👧AaleayahPeak #16210](/aaleayah)[👧AaloniPeak #16210](/aaloni)[👧AariellaPeak #16210](/aariella)[👧AarynnPeak #16210](/aarynn) Advertisement ## About the name Linux Linux is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2012 and has accumulated 82 births in the dataset. Linux's peak popularity came in 2023 when it ranked #7,734\. Use the chart and map above to compare Linux's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices. ### Continue exploring * [ Top names of 2023 → ](/year/2023) * [ Names of the 2020s → ](/decade/2020s) * [ Names starting with "L" → ](/letter/l) * [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) * [ Browse unisex names → ](/names/unisex) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). 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. Advertisement