boy's name
Lino
LEE-no
- Origin Italian
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 13,102
France
#143
2025 births
Lino is a boy's name of Greek origin from Linus, a figure Greek myth killed off twice in different stories. It ranks 143rd in France and is rising, with records going back to 1908.
- Lino is a name of Italian origin.
- Peaked in France in 2023, when 580 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 1,404 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1908.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Lino over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 10 |
| 1910s | 10 |
| 1920s | 190 |
| 1930s | 220 |
| 1940s | 75 |
| 1950s | 115 |
| 1960s | 115 |
| 1970s | 125 |
| 1980s | 65 |
| 1990s | 165 |
| 2000s | 1,430 |
| 2010s | 3,430 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,890 |
What Lino means
Lino means flax, from the Greek linon — the plant that gives linen and the thread it is spun into. The name may instead come from a lament, since the Greeks derived it from a mourning cry, and the two readings have never been separated.
Where Lino comes from
Lino is the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Linus, from the Greek Linos. Greek myth gives two figures of the name and kills both: one is Heracles' music teacher, struck dead by his pupil with a lyre after criticizing him, and the other a son of Apollo torn apart by dogs. A ritual lament called the linos-song was sung across the Greek world, and ancient writers derived the name from it — probably backwards, since the song may well be named for the myth. Saint Linus is counted the second pope, immediately after Peter, and is named in the second letter to Timothy. The Italian Lino also functions as a short form of Angiolino, Pasqualino and other -lino diminutives, which is most of its modern use. The linoleum connection is real but indirect: both go back to the flax.
Lino in use
Lino ranks 143rd in France with about 420 births in 2025 and is rising in our data with a peak in 2023. Our records carry it from 1908, so its French presence long predates the current rise and reflects Italian and Portuguese migration. It is rare elsewhere at 2,412th in the United States and 6,242nd in England and Wales.
How popular is Lino?
In 2025, Lino was given to 420 babies in France, ranking #143 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Lino is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
How Lino is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Lïno | Lïno is a rare spelling of Lino, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 5 times, mostly in France. | 5 |
Names that peaked alongside Lino
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Lino also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Lino over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Lino in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Lino
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Lino — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Lino
What does the name Lino mean?
Flax, from the Greek linon — or possibly a lament, since the Greeks derived it from a mourning song.
Is Lino the same as Linus?
Yes. Lino is the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form.
Was Linus a pope?
Saint Linus is counted the second pope, immediately after Peter.
How popular is Lino?
143rd in France, where it is rising.
Is Lino a girl's or a boy's name?
Lino is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Lino?
Lino has 2 syllables.
Is Lino a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Lino currently ranks #143 in France. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.