Given name & surname
Lincoln
“lake”·“from the village near the lake”
Lincoln is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “lake” and “from the village near the lake” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “lake” and “from the village near the lake” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
It entered given-name use through an existing surname.
The story
Its naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Lincoln through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 106,968
- 104,918 boys · 2,050 girls
- Most popular year
- 2017
- 8,443 babies
- 2025
- 4,778
- #69 for boys · #2,396 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −29%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 4,703 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 69 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 29.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 8,202 in 2017. It also appeared in 75 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Ohio had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (343). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 66,384 as a first name in 2020; 15,912 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Lincoln’s family of names
In English usage, Lincoln has a diminutive in Link. Lincoln has a related form in Linc. Lincoln has a related form in Link.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 10
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Linkdiminutive · English
- Linkolnvariant
- Linkenvariant
- Lyncolnvariant
- Lynkvariant
- Lynkenvariant
- Lincdiminutive · English
- Linconvariant
Show 2 moreShow fewer
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Lincoln
- Lincoln EllsworthAmerican explorer (1880–1951)
- Lincoln ChafeeAmerican politician and former United States Senator from Rhode Islandborn 1953
- Lincoln SteffensAmerican journalist (1866-1936)
- William ChristieAmerican-born French conductor and harpsichordist (born 1944)
- Lincoln Díaz-BalartAmerican politician (1954–2025)
- LincolnBrazilian association football playerborn 1998
- LincolnBrazilian association football playerborn 2000
- High ContrastWelsh DJ, record producerborn 1979
- Lincoln KirsteinAmerican writer (1907–1996)
Characters named Lincoln: Lincoln Burrows (fictional human and television character by Dominic Purcell), L.J. Burrows (fictional character), Lincoln Loud (animated character in The Loud House).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Lincoln, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Carter
“a transporter of merchandise” · “one who transports goods; one who drives a cart”
93% boys · 7% girls
Walker
“walker of the forests” · “one who trods the cloth”
97% boys · 3% girls
Jefferson
“son of JEFFREY” · “the son of Jeffrey”
>99% boys
Hunter
“a great huntress and provider” · “a great huntsman and provider”
93% boys · 7% girls
Tanner
“one who tans hides” · “one who makes leather”
95% boys · 5% girls
Goddard
“one who is divinely firm”
77% boys · 23% girls
Jackson
“the son of Jack or John”
>99% boys
Winston
“of the joy stone; from the friendly town”
99% boys · 1% girls