How to say it
LIN · coln
/ˈlɪŋ.kən/
Masculine
Lincoln
From the lake settlement
What it means
An English place name from Lindon Colonia, the Roman colony at Lincoln (modern Lincolnshire), itself from a Brittonic word for 'lake' and the Latin for 'colony.'
Lincoln is an English place name, originally Lindon Colonia, the Roman colony at the modern city of Lincoln. Lindon comes from a Brittonic word meaning 'lake' or 'pool'; the Romans added Colonia. The surname formed from the place name, and the surname-first usage was uncommon in English until Abraham Lincoln. The 16th US president (1809-1865) is the indelible cultural anchor; the name accelerated as a baby name after the 2012 Spielberg film. It entered the US top 50 in 2017. Often shortens to Linc, occasionally Linus among families who lean into the older root.
Popularity over time
peaked at #40 in 2020, currently #69 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Abraham Lincoln is the unavoidable association; some parents lean in, others find it heavy. The 2012 Spielberg film renewed the cultural weight.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Abraham Lincoln 16th US president, Emancipation Proclamation, assassinated 1865
- Lincoln Chafee Former US senator and Rhode Island governor
Spelling variants
- Linc
Names with the same feeling
See Lincoln from another angle
By style