Boy name · English
Lincoln
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: lake colonyLincoln is a boy's name that comes from English and means "lake colony". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Lake colony
- Origin
- English
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #69 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Lincoln
As a boy's name, Lincoln comes from English and means "lake colony". It is used in English.
Lincoln is also a surname: the 2,230th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 15,912 people. See the most common last names.
Its meaning puts Lincoln on our names that mean water or sea list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Lincoln on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Lincoln on 1 list.
“Lake colony; English. Presidential surname from an English city”
From Boy middle names, surname middle names for boys
How popular is Lincoln?
- US rank in 2025
- #69
- 4,703 babies, 2,753 per million boys
- Best rank
- #40 in 2020
- Most babies: 8,202 in 2017
- Babies since 1880
- At least 104,918
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 86 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 124 per million |
| 1900s | 130 per million |
| 1910s | 136 per million |
| 1920s | 118 per million |
| 1930s | 81 per million |
| 1940s | 57 per million |
| 1950s | 40 per million |
| 1960s | 65 per million |
| 1970s | 80 per million |
| 1980s | 63 per million |
| 1990s | 87 per million |
| 2000s | 441 per million |
| 2010s | 2,766 per million |
| 2020s | 3,236 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #51 | #41 | #41 | #41 | #40 | #45 | #54 | #64 | #73 | #69 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names with a similar meaning
Middle names for Lincoln
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from English
- AinsleyFrom a place named for a solitary or hermitage clearing (English, unisex)
- ArmstrongStrong in the arm (English, boy)
- JacksonFrom a surname meaning son of Jack (English, boy)
- ScottFrom Scotland (English, boy)
- AceFrom the English word ace, highest rank (English, boy)
- AdairFrom a surname derived from Edgar (English, unisex)
- AndersonSon of Andrew (English, boy)
- ArloMeaning uncertain; perhaps from Spenser's Arlo Hill (English, boy)
- AyrtonSettlement on the River Aire (English, boy)
- BayA sheltered curve of coast (English, unisex)
- BensonFrom a surname meaning son of Benedict (English, boy)
- BrysonFrom a surname meaning son of Brice (English, boy)
- CarterCart driver (English, boy)
- CedarFragrant evergreen tree (English, boy)
- ChaseHunter (English, boy)
- ColterFrom a surname for a keeper of horses (English, boy)
- CooperBarrel maker (English, boy)
- CrewFrom the English word crew, a group of people (English, boy)
Lincoln: common questions
What does the name Lincoln mean?
Lincoln comes from English and means "lake colony".
Is Lincoln a boy or girl name?
Lincoln is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 75 girls and 4,703 boys in the US were named Lincoln, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Lincoln come from?
Lincoln comes from English and means "lake colony". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Lincoln?
Lincoln ranked #69 in the US in 2025, with 4,703 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What middle names go with Lincoln?
Middle names that flow well with Lincoln include Asher, Basil, Eli, Ezra and Glenn. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.