Lincoln
Meaninglake settlement · Old English
- US rank
- #69
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #40 in 2020
4,703 babies were named Lincoln in the US in 2025. It has dropped 29 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million boys, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Lincoln you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Lincoln
Lincoln Ellsworth
American explorer (1880–1951)
Choose Lincoln and your child shares a first name with Lincoln Ellsworth, an American explorer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Lincoln, like who?” Lincoln Ellsworth's Wikipedia article is available in 33 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Lincoln Ellsworth on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: George Grantham Bain, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 363 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Lincoln, 4,703 babies in all. In a school of 500 kids, there'd probably be one other Lincoln.
- HistoryLincoln has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Lincolns, and counting.
- Best yearIts best year was 2020, when it reached #40.
- Then vs nowLincoln is 22× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 7,949 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 363.
- TrendLincoln has slipped 29 places over the last five years and now sits at #69. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedLincoln is most popular in Ohio, where it ranks #12, followed by New Hampshire (#14) and Wyoming (#16). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
- MeaningIn Old English, Lincoln means “lake settlement”. Our records link it to English and Latin roots.
About the name Lincoln
Lincoln is a boy name of English and Latin origin meaning “lake settlement”. It has 7 letters and 2 syllables, starting with L and ending in “-oln”. US birth records list Lincoln for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 145 of those 146 years. Its best year was 2020, when it ranked #40 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #69, with 4,703 babies.
Origin:English namesLatin names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 86 | 11,696 boys |
| 1890s | 124 | 8,063 boys |
| 1900s | 127 | 7,856 boys |
| 1910s | 140 | 7,152 boys |
| 1920s | 118 | 8,472 boys |
| 1930s | 81 | 12,366 boys |
| 1940s | 58 | 17,274 boys |
| 1950s | 41 | 24,594 boys |
| 1960s | 65 | 15,361 boys |
| 1970s | 80 | 12,534 boys |
| 1980s | 63 | 15,936 boys |
| 1990s | 87 | 11,481 boys |
| 2000s | 436 | 2,292 boys |
| 2010s | 2,786 | 359 boys |
| 2020s | 3,233 | 309 boys |
Other spellings of Lincoln
More English boy names
- Boy name: Oliver · olive tree
- Boy name: Henry · ruler of the home
- Unisex name: James · supplanter
- Boy name: William · resolute protector
- Boy name: Benjamin · son of the right hand
- Boy name: Jack · God is gracious
- Unisex name: Hudson · son of Hudde
- Unisex name: Julian · of the Julius family
Questions about the name Lincoln
What does the name Lincoln mean?
Lincoln means “lake settlement” in Old English.
What is the origin of the name Lincoln?
Lincoln has English, Latin roots in our records. Other English names include Oliver, Henry, James.
Is Lincoln a boy or girl name?
Lincoln is a boy name, though a few girls get it too.
How popular is the name Lincoln?
Lincoln ranked #69 for US boys in 2025, given to 4,703 babies. Its best year was 2020 (#40).