Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2025

Linden

Gender Unisex · 33% girls Rank 2025 #1,415 Trend ↑ Rising 13%

A unisex given name transferred from the surname, or for the linden tree.

Rank 2025
#1,415
among boys · ↑128 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
210
named Linden · +14% vs 2024
How common
1 in 13,241
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2025
210 babies
All-time total
6,100
#2,042 all-time among boys
First recorded
1889
in Social Security records

Linden popularity over time

6,100 babies have been named Linden since 1889, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 5 5 1 – #1,047
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – 10 10 1 – #1,461
1910s – 163 163 16 +1530% #1,266
1920s – 260 260 26 +60% #1,026
1930s – 258 258 26 -1% #1,116
1940s 33 414 447 45 +73% #929
1950s 98 391 489 49 +9% #1,041
1960s 31 231 262 26 -46% #1,268
1970s 28 127 155 16 -41% #2,181
1980s 189 183 372 37 +140% #2,300
1990s 193 221 414 41 +11% #2,583
2000s 291 377 668 67 +61% #2,220
2010s 676 810 1,486 149 +122% #1,538
2020s (to 2025) 459 652 1,111 185 +25% #1,415

Where Linden is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 132 0.08 outside top 500
2027 134 0.08 outside top 500
2028 136 0.08 outside top 500
2029 138 0.08 outside top 500
2030 140 0.08 outside top 500

Where Linden is most popular

Boys named Linden per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.063 per 1,000. Strongest in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Washington.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Linden born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Minnesota 30 0.245 +288%
Wisconsin 16 0.135 +114%
Washington 19 0.116 +84%
Michigan 18 0.088 +39%
Colorado 9 0.070 +11%
Massachusetts 8 0.058 -8%
California 48 0.053 -17%
New York 22 0.051 -19%
Missouri 7 0.051 -20%
Pennsylvania 11 0.041 -34%
Texas 28 0.032 -50%
Indiana 5 0.031 -51%
Tennessee 5 0.028 -56%
Virginia 5 0.026 -58%
Ohio 5 0.019 -70%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Florida – – –
Georgia – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Illinois – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Carolina – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Linden

Linden is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,415 in 2025 with 129 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1889, 6,100 American babies have been named Linden, about 67% boys and 33% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2025, when 210 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Linden stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Linden?

The median living Linden is about 15 years old; half are between 6 and 39. An estimated 5,000 people named Linden are alive in the United States today.

median 15 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Linden year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 81 #2,269 129 #1,415
2024 70 #2,547 114 #1,543
2023 70 #2,542 95 #1,740
2022 90 #2,133 95 #1,758
2021 75 #2,403 112 #1,562
2020 73 #2,409 107 #1,549
2019 80 #2,281 100 #1,640
2018 81 #2,264 106 #1,580
2017 77 #2,372 107 #1,538
2016 65 #2,683 99 #1,626
2015 78 #2,367 89 #1,734
2014 58 #2,958 70 #2,034
2013 65 #2,698 54 #2,351
2012 59 #2,922 59 #2,226
2011 51 #3,250 68 #2,012
2010 62 #2,824 58 #2,250
2009 44 #3,653 60 #2,220
2008 35 #4,413 55 #2,365
2007 46 #3,573 42 #2,850
2006 35 #4,219 43 #2,722
2005 28 #4,782 35 #2,993
2004 20 #6,118 44 #2,519
2003 27 #4,755 35 #2,825
2002 17 #6,560 24 #3,626
2001 20 #5,727 25 #3,472
2000 19 #5,842 14 #5,212
1995 10 #8,460 20 #3,389
1990 16 #5,712 22 #2,922
1985 22 #3,791 19 #2,656
1980 7 #8,669 13 #3,361
1975 – – 10 #3,575
1970 – – 18 #2,181
1965 5 #7,089 22 #1,698
1960 6 #6,080 31 #1,451
1955 10 #3,936 38 #1,232
1950 9 #3,830 32 #1,280
1945 6 #4,309 31 #1,194
1940 – – 39 #1,041
1935 – – 24 #1,412
1930 – – 30 #1,319
1925 – – 23 #1,611
1920 – – 28 #1,409
1915 – – 25 #1,360
1910 – – 8 #1,266
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Linden

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Linden Ashby Linden Ashby American actor (born 1960) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Linden, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Linden?

The median living Linden is about 15 years old. Half of all living Lindens are between 6 and 39 years old.

How many people named Linden are alive today?

An estimated 5,000 people named Linden are alive in the United States, based on 6,100 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Linden mean?

A unisex given name transferred from the surname, or for the linden tree.

How popular is the name Linden in 2025?

Linden ranked #1,415 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 129 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Linden?

6,100 babies have been named Linden in the United States since 1889, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Linden most popular?

Linden peaked in 2025, when 210 newborns received the name.

Is Linden a boy or girl name?

Linden is used for both: about 33% of babies named Linden have been girls and 67% boys.

Is the name Linden rising or falling?

Linden is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Linden become more popular?

Linden is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 140 boys named Linden in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Linden?

Well-known people named Linden include Linden Ashby (actor).

Names like Linden

Names that sound and feel close to Linden: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Linden with similar names → More names starting with L →