Given name & surname · also Scottish
Lindsay
Lindsay is used as a given name, a surname, and a nickname. One English interpretation is “from the island of linden trees; from Lincoln's wetland.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the island of linden trees; from Lincoln's wetland.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Scottish.
How it developed
From Old English Lindesēġe, from Proto-Brythonic *llɨnn (“pool”), from Proto-Celtic *lindos (“lake, liquid”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Lindsay through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 135,501
- 5,136 boys · 130,365 girls
- Most popular year
- 1983
- 8,713 babies
- 2025
- 84
- #2,208 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −41%
- Cooling
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 1% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 84 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,208 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 41.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 8,622 in 1983. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (16). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 122,638 as a first name in 2020; 32,075 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.
Lindsay’s family of names
In English usage, Lindsay has a diminutive in Lindy. In French usage, Lindsay has a related form in Lindsey. Lindsay has a related form in Lindsey.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 31
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Lindseyvariant · French, English
- Lindydiminutive · English
- Lyndseyvariant · English
- Lindiepet form · English
- Linzyvariant
- Linseyvariant
- Lynzievariant
- Lindsevariant
Show 23 moreShow fewer
- Lynzeevariant
- Lynzyvariant
- Lynzivariant
- Lynzeyvariant
- Lynseyvariant
- Lyndsievariant
- Lyndsayvariant
- Linzeevariant
- Linzivariant
- Linsievariant
- Linsayvariant
- Lindsyvariant
- Lindseevariant
- Lindseavariant
- Lindvariant
- Lynnseyvariant
- Lindsayelikely variant
- Lindsaielikely variant
- Li-Loshort form · English
- Lymnzeyvariant
- Lymnseyvariant
- Lindseighvariant
- Lynnzeyvariant
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Lindsay
- Lindsay LohanAmerican actress and singer (born 1986)
- Lindsay DavenportAmerican tennis playerborn 1976
- Lindsay WagnerAmerican actressborn 1949
- Lindsay AndersonBritish feature-film, theatre and documentary director and film critic (1923-1994)
- Lindsay HoyleSpeaker of the House of Commons (born 1957)
- Lindsay DuncanScottish actressborn 1950
- Lindsay PriceAmerican actress and singerborn 1976
- Lindsay Crouseactressborn 1948
- Lindsay WhalenAmerican Hall of Fame basketball player and coachborn 1982
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Lindsay, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Lesley
“garden of hollies”
2% boys · 98% girls
Lani
“from the sky; one who is heavenly” · “a servant”
1% boys · 99% girls
Liza
“my God is bountiful” · “God is my oath”
>99% girls
Rina
“one who sings a joyous song”
>99% girls
Mindy
“one who is sweet and gentle” · “one who is worthy of admiration”
>99% girls
Randi
“the wolf shield” · “lustful”
1% boys · 99% girls
Krystal
“resembling clear, sparkling, brilliant glass”
>99% girls
Halley
“from the hall near the meadow”
>99% girls