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Lin as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Lin

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The baby name Lin is a Unisex name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced English: /lɪn/; Mandarin (Pinyin): Lín (rising tone, [lin˧˥]).

Lin is Chinese in Origin.

Gender: Unisex
Syllables: 1.0
Origin: Chinese
Pronunciation: English: /lɪn/; Mandarin (Pinyin): Lín (rising tone, [lin˧˥])

What is the meaning of the name Lin ?

The baby name Lin is a Unisex name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced English: /lɪn/; Mandarin (Pinyin): Lín (rising tone, [lin˧˥]).

Lin is Chinese in Origin.

Lin is a compact, multicultural name. In Chinese, Lin commonly represents several characters: 林 (forest), 琳 (fine jade), 霖 (beneficial long rain), and 麟 (mythical qilin), making it a versatile unisex choice; it is also an extremely common Chinese surname borne for centuries across Fujian, Guangdong, and Taiwan, and widely romanized Lin (with dialectal forms Lim and Lam). As a given name, characters like 琳 are frequent for girls and 霖 for boys.

Beyond East Asia, Lin functions in English and Scandinavian contexts as a short form of names ending in -lin/-lyn, such as Linda, Evelyn, Adeline, Caroline, Linnea, Lyndon, or Lindsay. It overlaps with the Lynn/Lyn/Linn spellings, historically linked to Celtic llyn/linne "lake, pool." Related forms include Linn and Lynn; Vietnamese Linh is a separate name meaning "spirit/sacred," though sometimes anglicized as Lin.

Lin has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Lin

Lin Biao Politician · Born 1907 · People's Republic of China Lin Biao was a Chinese military leader and politician best known for his major role in the Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War. He became a Marshal of the People's Republic of China and was especially influential in campaigns in Northeast China between 1946 and 1949. Lin Tse-hsu Politician · Born 1785 · Qing dynasty Lin Tse-hsu was a prominent Qing dynasty politician best known for his role in the events leading up to the First Opium War. He is famous for his strong opposition to the opium trade and his efforts to enforce the ban on opium, which included the destruction of over 1,000 tons of opium in 1839. His actions were a significant factor in the tensions between China and Britain during that period.

Lin – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
KH 0 #3 1 102
KH Girls 0 #5 2 148
TW 0 #5 129 4,523
KH Boys 0 #8 2 270
FJ Girls 0 #9 1 583
TW Girls 0 #10 653 8,139
BI 0 #12 1 425
TW Boys 0 #20 635 7,111
BN 0 #30 3 2,297
CN 0 #30 56 3,857
ID 0 #37 3 2,238
BI Boys 0 #40 5 917
CN Boys 0 #44 588 9,639
MO 0 #47 6 2,706
CN Girls 0 #57 701 8,829
SG Girls 0 #67 1,423 18,916
SG 0 #70 254 11,010
BN Girls 0 #74 33 5,459
AL 0 #76 1 2,372
JP 0 #76 2 4,057
SI 0 #79 2 1,612
AF Girls 0 #94 1 2,402
ID Girls 0 #98 5 3,319
MO Girls 0 #98 179 7,056
PH 0 #104 7 5,607
QA 0 #104 3 7,011
GE Girls 0 #108 1 1,564
HU 0 #115 1 1,675
KW 0 #117 5 5,216
OM 0 #117 5 6,215
HK Girls 0 #118 1,368 16,104
BN Boys 0 #120 14 6,332
SG Boys 0 #121 1,285 17,960
Norway Girls 2025 #123 4 453
CY Girls 0 #125 1 3,755
MY Girls 0 #128 2,602 24,821
AZ Boys 0 #130 2 1,400
ID Boys 0 #132 4 4,130
IQ 0 #132 2 3,533
Switzerland Girls 2024 #133 3 1,786
MU 0 #136 2 3,613
JO 0 #140 1 2,158
BW Girls 0 #144 8 4,216
MO Boys 0 #146 79 5,842
LT Boys 0 #147 5 2,166
CR 0 #148 11 5,526
MT Girls 0 #150 4 3,773
RS Boys 0 #154 1 2,277
PR Girls 0 #166 2 3,171
Sweden Girls 2022 #169 11 1,568
MY 0 #170 172 12,352
HU Boys 0 #172 3 3,954
SI Girls 0 #176 2 2,769
PR Boys 0 #177 2 2,508
UY 0 #182 1 2,477
LU Girls 0 #184 7 4,850
AE 0 #186 2 10,220
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
AR 0 #193 1 2,915
LT Girls 0 #193 8 1,904
RU 0 #193 2 3,641
DK 0 #201 6 5,198
PS 0 #207 12 5,692
SI Boys 0 #207 5 3,402
PL 0 #211 2 2,600
JP Girls 0 #215 31 6,592
LU Boys 0 #216 5 4,970
AO Girls 0 #217 1 4,575
BG Boys 0 #220 1 3,850
HU Girls 0 #220 6 3,308
AL Girls 0 #221 7 4,141
IR 0 #229 3 4,221
BG Girls 0 #231 1 3,559
NA Girls 0 #232 6 7,146
BD 0 #241 1 5,992
HK Boys 0 #241 464 12,905
IL 0 #247 28 6,291
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
AO Boys 0 #249 1 5,568
GR Girls 0 #249 1 6,293
PT 0 #249 2 4,161
HK 0 #251 100 8,483
NA Boys 0 #252 2 6,830
AL Boys 0 #253 46 5,122
EC Girls 0 #256 3 3,650
HR Boys 0 #259 1 3,997
GR Boys 0 #269 5 6,912
JM Girls 0 #271 8 7,507
NG 0 #272 1 5,926
QA Girls 0 #280 37 15,378
JP Boys 0 #282 16 7,909
Canada Girls 2021 #285 6 2,910
DK Girls 0 #288 29 7,429
JM Boys 0 #289 5 6,876
IL Girls 0 #290 433 11,648
KZ Boys 0 #290 7 6,578
HR Girls 0 #293 2 3,687
JO Girls 0 #306 20 7,570
KZ Girls 0 #306 15 5,862
GH Girls 0 #307 18 6,973
SA 0 #308 5 10,560
CZ Girls 0 #316 26 5,378
PE 0 #324 6 6,350
DK Boys 0 #329 4 7,401
SD Girls 0 #331 15 7,678
OM Girls 0 #334 63 15,987
GT 0 #337 2 5,948
MU Girls 0 #337 15 8,539
PL Boys 0 #338 3 6,459
PS Girls 0 #338 202 10,981
PH Girls 0 #343 48 13,098
MU Boys 0 #344 14 8,477
PH Boys 0 #354 30 11,440
BR 0 #358 3 5,969
NL 0 #360 32 2,481
GH Boys 0 #361 1 8,138
MY Boys 0 #361 1,186 25,439
PL Girls 0 #364 1 5,096
YE 0 #368 14 8,639
Finland Girls 0 #377 15 1,368
PT Boys 0 #379 3 7,951
JO Boys 0 #388 2 7,057
France Girls 2020 #392 3 3,215
Austria Girls 0 #394 27 1,885
BO 0 #403 6 6,868
BD Girls 0 #404 3 8,413
Germany 0 #406 32 2,542
EG 0 #410 3 6,387
France Boys 2013 #411 3 2,790
UY Boys 0 #413 1 5,922
ZA 0 #425 23 14,421
CL 0 #427 8 6,867
RU Girls 0 #430 69 11,913
AE Girls 0 #431 123 20,968
IQ Girls 0 #431 74 11,303
MX 0 #437 9 8,339
Spain 0 #442 11 2,326
AR Boys 0 #443 25 7,628
CR Girls 0 #443 90 11,342
PA Girls 0 #451 31 9,861
SD Boys 0 #460 7 10,523
PA Boys 0 #464 18 9,305
PT Girls 0 #465 7 7,952
KW Girls 0 #466 50 19,177
CR Boys 0 #471 17 10,188
RU Boys 0 #471 35 12,621
GT Girls 0 #489 17 7,500
GT Boys 0 #494 6 7,625
TN 0 #494 408 13,765
CO 0 #502 9 7,768
IR Girls 0 #507 24 8,334
CM Girls 0 #518 23 11,671
PS Boys 0 #522 27 10,655
BH 0 #525 29 17,937
UY Girls 0 #534 3 6,731
CM Boys 0 #535 16 12,054
SY 0 #539 198 11,684
LY 0 #551 9 12,703
BD Boys 0 #561 16 10,045
BO Girls 0 #565 47 9,488
IR Boys 0 #565 1 10,162
BO Boys 0 #567 26 9,244
IL Boys 0 #582 26 10,983
AR Girls 0 #584 16 8,289
LB 0 #585 74 13,263
Germany Girls 0 #611 235 4,949
IN Girls 0 #617 15 13,121
NL Girls 0 #621 349 5,933
CL Boys 0 #642 24 13,390
IQ Boys 0 #644 24 13,071
DZ 0 #663 597 20,130
IT 0 #687 28 4,183
QA Boys 0 #688 20 18,093
Finland Girls 2026 #695 44 3,895
BR Boys 0 #737 15 12,213
SA Girls 0 #740 196 25,931
KW Boys 0 #753 17 18,755
NG Girls 0 #776 11 15,093
PE Boys 0 #777 102 14,506
CL Girls 0 #782 70 14,098
Spain Boys 0 #810 121 5,610
PE Girls 0 #846 98 14,861
Spain Girls 0 #848 136 5,561
MA 0 #850 283 20,986
OM Boys 0 #860 22 17,948
EG Boys 0 #865 22 15,035
CO Boys 0 #881 40 15,656
United States Boys 2024 #888 5 7,044
NL Boys 0 #888 64 5,873
EG Girls 0 #907 53 14,742
Germany Boys 0 #910 43 5,697
United States Girls 2024 #911 6 8,487
MX Boys 0 #917 66 16,355
BR Girls 0 #926 16 12,708
NG Boys 0 #937 15 16,906
CO Girls 0 #959 120 16,140
ZA Girls 0 #1,008 134 25,928
MX Girls 0 #1,011 173 17,781
IN Boys 0 #1,032 8 16,750
IT Girls 0 #1,038 426 9,415
AE Boys 0 #1,043 50 22,615
IT Boys 0 #1,054 427 10,046
ZA Boys 0 #1,124 55 25,619
TR 0 #1,132 80 19,440
SA Boys 0 #1,531 84 28,008

Lin is popular in 90 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Norway
United States
Switzerland
Sweden

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Lin

Lin is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Lin is a one syllable name, pronounced English: /lɪn/; Mandarin (Pinyin): Lín (rising tone, [lin˧˥]).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Lynn, Lyn, Linny, Linnie, Linette and Lina.
Across languages, Lin has these equivalents: Lam (Cantonese transliteration of 林), Lim (Hokkien/Teochew transliteration of 林), Liem (Southeast Asian variant), Lynn (English cognate/spelling variant), Forrest/Forest (names with similar 'forest' meaning).
Yes — Lin ranked #123 in Norway in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 8 countries.
Lin ranks highest in Norway (#123 in 2025).
Yes — 2 notable people named Lin are in our database, including Lin Biao (Politician), Lin Tse-hsu (Politician).