Lin
A surname with multiple possible origins, most often linked to East Asian family names but also appearing in older European surname traditions.
The #402 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 3,883 Americans shares it.
Etymology
As a surname, Lin can have several unrelated origins. In East Asian use, it commonly reflects Chinese 林, meaning 'forest' or 'woods,' and is also found in Vietnamese usage through Chinese-influenced naming. In European records, similar-looking forms can arise from different sources, including shortened or altered place-names or older names ending in -lin, so the spelling alone is not enough to determine one single origin.
History
In modern usage, Lin is especially common in Chinese communities and among their diaspora, which explains its high frequency today. Historical English surname dictionaries also show that forms written 'Lin' can be confused with or shortened from other surnames, but these sources do not point to one universal European origin for the exact spelling. Because the same spelling can represent different naming traditions, family history and geographic context are especially important here.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The Chinese surname 林 is one of the classic surnames traditionally linked with the legendary figure Bi Gan in Chinese genealogical tradition.
From the historical record
“LIN 195 LIN LIDDERDALE. Probably Liddesdale, iu Koxburghsbire.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United KingdomNotable people named Lin
- Carrie Lam (b. 1957)
- Lin Biao (1907–1971)
- Lin Dan (b. 1983)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.