Linus

Did you know?

A few things about Linus you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Linus

Linus Torvalds

Finnish software engineer (born 1969)

Choose Linus and your child shares a first name with Linus Torvalds, a Finnish software engineer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Linus, like who?” Linus Torvalds's Wikipedia article is available in 153 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Linus Torvalds on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Lf Asia, CC BY 3.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 20,833 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Linus, 82 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Linus would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryLinus first shows up in US birth records in 1882, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 143 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1882, when it ranked #611. Today it's #1,906, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🍂TrendLinus has slipped 508 places over the last five years and now sits at #1,906. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedLinus is most popular in Wisconsin, where it ranks #570, followed by Minnesota (#640). It's in the top 1,000 in 2 states.
• 💬MeaningIn Greek, Linus means “flax”. Our records link it to Greek, Latin and Scandinavian roots.

About the name Linus

Linus is a boy name of Greek, Latin and Scandinavian origin meaning “flax”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with L and ending in “-nus”. US birth records list Linus for boys from 1882 to 2025, in 128 of those 144 years. Its best year was 1882, when it ranked #611 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #1,906, with 82 babies.

Origin:Greek namesLatin namesScandinavian names