Lindsay
Scottish surname taken from the English region of Lindsey, whose Old English name meant the island of Lincoln; it passed into use as a given name for both sexes.
Lindsay in 2025
Lindsay was given to 84 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 3,995th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 39,468 babies born.
The history of Lindsay
Lindsay reached its highest point in 1983, when 8,713 babies were given the name, ranking 83rd that year.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 135,501 babies have been named Lindsay. Half of them were born before 1986, which places the name's centre of gravity with Millennials.
Lindsay has switched sex over its history: it went mostly to boys in its early decades, and goes mostly to girls today.
Lindsay by decade
| Decade | Babies named Lindsay | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 62 | 1,280 |
| 1890s | 83 | 1,021 |
| 1900s | 89 | 1,606 |
| 1910s | 310 | 1,803 |
| 1920s | 476 | 1,743 |
| 1930s | 431 | 1,637 |
| 1940s | 825 | 1,226 |
| 1950s | 1,995 | 1,012 |
| 1960s | 1,397 | 1,233 |
| 1970s | 12,766 | 171 |
| 1980s | 69,149 | 83 |
| 1990s | 31,594 | 144 |
| 2000s | 12,333 | 374 |
| 2010s | 3,319 | 1,128 |
| 2020s | 672 | 2,624 |
Where Lindsay is heading
Lindsay has fallen 75% over the past decade, from 337 babies in 2015 to 84 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1983 peak — Lindsay is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Lindsay
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Lindsay.