Given name & surname · also Celtic
Lynette
“a beautiful maiden; resembling a songbird”
Lynette is used as a given name and a surname. One Welsh interpretation is “a beautiful maiden; resembling a songbird.” Its derivation is not certain.
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Welsh interpretation is “a beautiful maiden; resembling a songbird.” Its derivation is not certain.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Celtic, although the derivation remains uncertain.
How it developed
Lynette developed from Lynn.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1897. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Lynette through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 43,445
- 53 boys · 43,392 girls
- Most popular year
- 1965
- 1,413 babies
- 2025
- 66
- #2,633 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −10%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 66 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,633 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 9.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,413 in 1965. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (13). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 37,429 as a first name in 2020; 137 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.
Lynette’s family of names
In Cebuano usage, Lynette has a diminutive in LENLEN. Lynette developed from Lynn. In English usage, Lynette has a related form in Lynnette.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 22
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Lynette
- Lynette WoodardAmerican basketball player (born 1959)
- Lynette Yiadom-BoakyeBritish artist (born 1977)
- Squeaky Frommeattempted assassin of Gerald Ford (born 1948)
- Lyn BellAustralian swimmer, Olympic silver medallistborn 1947
- Lynette DaviesWelsh actress (1948-1993)
- Lynette Burgercyclistborn 1980
- Lynette ArmstrongBotswana accountant and corporate executiveborn 1974
- Lyn BreuerAustralian politicianborn 1951
- Lynette RobertsBritish poet (1909-1995)
Characters named Lynette: Lynette Scavo (fictional character on Desperate Housewives).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Lynette, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Connie
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>99% girls