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Lincoln

Meaning, origin and pronunciation, with published usage by place and year.

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Meaning

Pool or lake settlement association, through the English place-name route.

The exact entry traces the place name through Latin Lindum Colōnia and a Brittonic pool element. This is a geographic formation account, not a literal description of every given-name bearer or family.

Origin

English surname from a place name with Brittonic and Latin history.

The source documents the English surname and its transfer to a male given name. It also records American use originally in honour of Abraham Lincoln; that association does not establish every modern family’s intention.

English pronunciation

/ˈlɪŋ.kən/

Directly recorded English pronunciation of the exact given-name spelling. The l in the second syllable is not pronounced in this documented reading. The plain-text guide is approximate; a bearer’s preferred reading can differ. No audio reused.

Recorded English reading, as published. Accents and preferred pronunciations can differ.

Published name usage

Counts apply only to the exact spelling, place, year and recorded usage shown. Places are separate; these figures are never added into a worldwide total. Missing or suppressed records never mean zero.

Latest published record available for this spelling in each place and recorded usage
PlaceYearRecorded usagePublished birthsRankNotes
Canada2021Girls1020212025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Canada2025Boys370 · preliminary752025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
France2025Boys5 (rounded to 5)3568Counts are rounded to the nearest multiple of five. Ranks use unrounded publisher counts with randomly ordered ties; equally rounded counts can have different ranks. National coverage excludes Mayotte before 2012. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Automated direction labels are withheld for this rounded-count series. Rank basis: source published.
England & Wales2025Boys151302Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Northern Ireland2024Boys4339Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Scotland2025Boys9367Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Ireland2025Boys8432Names below three occurrences are unpublished. Accent recording changed in 2018; comparisons across that boundary may not describe the same spelling coverage. Counts refer to registrations in the year. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
United States2025Girls752387Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts.
United States2025Boys4,70369Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts.

Canada, Ireland and France coverage includes confidently matched existing profiles only; unmatched spellings are awaiting review. French counts are rounded to five.

Sources & notes

Open an entry for its source, credit, licence and full qualifications. Different name traditions remain separate.

Language of use: English

Checked against cited source

The exact English entry explicitly documents given-name use. This is distinct from linguistic origin, nationality and ancestry. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Meaning: Pool or lake settlement association, through the English place-name route.

Checked against cited source

The exact entry traces the place name through Latin Lindum Colōnia and a Brittonic pool element. This is a geographic formation account, not a literal description of every given-name bearer or family. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Nickname: Linc

Checked against cited source

The exact Linc English entry explicitly identifies this short-form connection. It is an optional naming relationship, not a claim that every bearer has the longer legal name. Spellings retain separate popularity statistics. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Origin: English surname from a place name with Brittonic and Latin history.

Checked against cited source

The source documents the English surname and its transfer to a male given name. It also records American use originally in honour of Abraham Lincoln; that association does not establish every modern family’s intention. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

English pronunciation: /ˈlɪŋ.kən/

Checked against cited source

Directly recorded English pronunciation of the exact given-name spelling. The l in the second syllable is not pronounced in this documented reading. The plain-text guide is approximate; a bearer’s preferred reading can differ. No audio reused. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Supporting evidence: Wiktionary: Lincoln’s place-to-surname-to-given-name route

Checked against cited source

The source separates the older geographic formation, surname use and later given-name use. English and Celtic staging labels describe different parts of that history rather than competing universal origins. Existing English pronunciation and syllables remain unchanged. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

Syllables: 2 (this documented English reading)

Checked against cited source

Count applies to the cited English reading only; no universal count or source-language transfer asserted. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names.

Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.

View original source

This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

CC BY-SA 4.0

country_CA

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country_FR

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country_IE

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Source: NISRA : Website: www.nisra.gov.uk

Attribution: Source: NISRA : Website: www.nisra.gov.uk

License: Open Government Licence v3.0

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(C) Crown copyright. Data supplied by National Records of Scotland.

Attribution: (C) Crown copyright. Data supplied by National Records of Scotland.

License: Open Government Licence v3.0

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Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence

Attribution: Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence

License: Open Government Licence v3.0

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U.S. Social Security Administration

Attribution: U.S. Social Security Administration

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Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.

Credit: Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.

License: Statistics Canada Open Licence

Adaptation: Adapted from Statistics Canada, First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators, Table 17-10-0147-01, reference years 1991–2025. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.

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Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.

Credit: Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.

License: CC BY 4.0

Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: joined the published count and rank indicators and matched unambiguous existing spellings. Source values retained.

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Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.

Credit: Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.

License: Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab)

Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: column names and sex codes mapped and unique case-only spellings matched to existing profiles. Published rounded counts and ranks retained.

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