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Linden Name Meaning, Origins & History

Linden

Pronunciation: LIN-den

Meaning Lime tree valley; lime tree Origin surnames Gender Unisex
BOYS RANK
#1,415
TREND
133
GIRLS RANK
#2,269
TREND
271
Peak Years
2025, 2024, 2021
Lowest Years
1889, 1907, 1908
Energy Archetype
Wise & Balanced

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Linden in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Linden

  • More than 6 thousand babies named Linden: U.S. records list 6,099 babies given the name Linden from 1880 through 2025. Of these, 1,998 girls received the name Linden - about 1 girl for every 2 boys.

What Does the Name Linden Mean?

Linden is a given name used in English-speaking countries, taken from an English and German surname. The English surname is habitational or topographic: it comes from place names formed from Old English lind, meaning lime tree (the tree also called linden or basswood), and denu, meaning valley. A place called Linden therefore meant lime-tree valley or valley where lime trees grow. The English word linden names the lime tree; the related adjective meant made of lime wood. In German and Dutch, Linden is a common place name and surname meaning lime trees, from Middle High German linde and its plural linden. The literal sense is topographical - a tree or a valley of trees - not a statement about character. Later symbolic readings sometimes treat the linden as a tree of love, peace, or community, especially in German poetry, but those associations are cultural interpretations rather than part of the name's etymology.

Linden Name History & Origins

The name Linden belongs first to places and surnames, not to medieval given names. In England, surnames such as Linden and Lindon arose from small settlements or landscape features named with Old English lind and denu. People who moved away from such a place could be called by it, and the surname passed down in families. In German-speaking Europe, Linden is the plural of Linde (lime tree) and appears in many village names and street names; Berlin's Unter den Linden (under the lime trees) is a well-known example of the word in a place name. Dutch and Scandinavian forms of the tree name are related, though the personal name Linden in English is usually linked to the English or German surname.

As a first name, Linden follows the broad English-language practice of using surnames as given names. It appears in the 19th and 20th centuries in English-speaking countries, used for both boys and girls. The linden tree has a long literary presence in German poetry - Walther von der Vogelweide's medieval poem Under der linden is one famous example - but that literary use concerns the tree, not the origin of the personal name. Similar-looking names such as Lyndon and Lindon are not automatically the same name; Lyndon is generally a separate English place name, and each family's Linden may have its own surname origin.

How Popular is the Name Linden?

Linden recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Its best rank was #929 in 1947.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

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How the Name Linden Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You always bring to completion anything you start. You are generous but like to see returns from your giving. You have an executive ability, you are a leader. You are moral, balanced, honest and intellectual, and you may attain spirituality. You are wise and practical with an appreciation of beauty. You always think before you act. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.

Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.

✦ Linden's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Linden's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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