girl's name
Lynley
LIN-lee (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 996
Lynley is a girl's name from an English surname, built on the Old English word for a woodland clearing. References split on the first half: some read it as "flax glade" and others as "lime wood" or "lake meadow," and the name is best known today through fiction.
- Lynley is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2016, when 46 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 150,716 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1962.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Lynley Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1960s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 85 |
| 1970s | 83 |
| 1980s | 113 |
| 1990s | 74 |
| 2000s | 146 |
| 2010s | 340 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 150 |
What Lynley Means
Lynley means a clearing, with a first element that may refer to flax, to the lime tree or to a lake. The second half, from Old English lēah, is secure, and it's the same ending found in Ashley and Hadley.
Where Lynley Comes From
Lynley began as a place-based surname, and spelling shifted between Linley and Lynley. Old English lēah meant a clearing or meadow. The opening element is less clear because lin could mean flax, and lind meant the lime or linden tree, both of which appear in the House of Names account. Nameberry and Ancestry instead read lin as a lake or pool, a sense closer to Welsh llyn. The surname's move to a first name came in the twentieth century, when Lyn- names were at their height and parents liked the soft sound.
Lynley in Use
Inspector Thomas Lynley, of Elizabeth George's detective novels and the BBC adaptation, is the best-known bearer of the surname. New Zealand children's author Lynley Dodd, creator of Hairy Maclary, and actress Carol Lynley gave it more visibility.
How Popular Is Lynley?
In 2025, Lynley was given to 22 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Lynley Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Lynley
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Lynley Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Lynley over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Lynley
- English LIN-lee
Lynley 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.
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Linley
Sibling Names for Lynley
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Lynley — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Lynley
What does the name Lynley mean?
A clearing, with a first half read as flax, lime tree or lake.
Is Lynley a boy's or a girl's name?
It's used as a girl's first name and began as an English surname.
How do you pronounce Lynley?
LIN-lee, with the stress on the first syllable.
How popular is the name Lynley?
In 2025, Lynley was given to 22 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
How many syllables are in Lynley?
Lynley has 2 syllables.
When was Lynley most popular?
Lynley peaked in 2016, when 46 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Lynley a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Lynley currently ranks #5,685 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.