Fun Facts About the Name Maclyn
- 108 babies named Maclyn: U.S. records list 108 babies given the name Maclyn from 1880 through 2025. Even 14 boys received the name Maclyn - about 1 boy for every 7 girls.
What Does the Name Maclyn Mean?
Maclyn has no firmly documented etymology. Its parts suggest the Scottish and Irish Gaelic prefix mac, meaning "son of," joined to the name Lynn. Read literally, that would give "son of Lynn," but a patronymic built on a non-Gaelic personal name is not a traditional Gaelic construction, so this is a description of the name's elements rather than an attested derivation.
Lynn itself has more than one origin: a Welsh llyn meaning "lake," and an English surname and place name from Old English words for a pool or a stream. Maclyn is also spelled in ways that overlap with Macklin and Macklyn, surname-derived names of Gaelic Mac origin whose exact root is disputed. Because the name is rare and no early record of it as a given name has been established, the safest statement is that its meaning is uncertain.
Maclyn Name History & Origins
The elements of Maclyn come from different naming traditions. In Scotland and Ireland, mac ("son of") formed patronymic surnames, many of which later became given names in English-speaking countries. Lynn developed separately as a Welsh and English name, from a lake word and from place-name and surname use. Combining Mac- with a non-Gaelic element such as Lynn places Maclyn in the English-language habit of forming given names from name-like parts rather than in the older Gaelic patronymic system.
As a given name, Maclyn is uncommon and is found mainly in the United States. A well-known bearer was the American bacteriologist Maclyn McCarty (1911 - 2005), whose work helped establish that DNA carries genetic information. The spellings Maclyn, Macklin, and Macklyn appear alongside one another as surname-derived given names.
How Popular is the Name Maclyn?
Maclyn has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2022. Its best rank was #3,336 in 1927.
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.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #16,349 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2024 | #16,692 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #16,659 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2022 | #8,323 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2021 | #14,561 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #12,947 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #13,257 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #8,954 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2017 | #12,316 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #10,557 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2015 | #9,897 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2010 | #18,765 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | #11,618 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1927 | #3,336 | 8 | 0.0007% |
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 Maclyn Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Maclyn's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Maclyn's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.