The baby name Linden blends the best of the natural world with strong surname style.
Thanks to Merrisa for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
WHAT DOES THE NAME LINDEN MEAN?
You might read that linden translates to lime tree.
Fair enough, but that’s misleading. No citrus fruits grow on lindens.
Instead, it seems to be a misunderstanding. Linden comes from the German linde, meaning lithe, referring to the flexible, lightweight wood.
Somehow English speakers misunderstood linden for lime.
Instead of small citrus fruits, the tree boasts heart-shaped leaves and wood that lends itself to carving everything from puppets to church altars. The bark can be woven into fabric, and when it flowers, those blossoms can be used for tea.
It’s often considered a sacred tree.
As is often the case, tree names surface on the map. Berlin’s Unter den Linden stretches through the city, with the trees planted from the Berlin Cathedral to the Brandenburg Gate. The boulevard served as inspiration for at least two families.
Leipzig, Germany takes its name from lipa, the Slavic word for the tree.
The linden tree belongs to the genus Tilia; it’s also known as basswood.
But this is only the beginning of the story.
HOW ABOUT LYNDON?
US president Lyndon Johnson makes another spelling of this name familiar.
As it happens, Lyndon, Lynden, Lindon, and even Linton, Lind, Linde, and Linder all all connected to the tree, too.
The Texas-born politician didn’t get his name until he was a few months old because his parents couldn’t agree. Finally, his dad suggested Linden, inspired by the surname of a local attorney. While his mother wasn’t thrilled, she agreed – as long as she could spell it her way.
So Lyndon is just … Linden, really.
That was way back in 1908. Trends come and go, but parents have been re-spelling their baby’s name forever.
One more notable Lyndon that might come to mind: Barry Lyndon. William Makepeace Thackeray wrote the story of a down-on-his-luck Irish man who tries to improve his station. Barry succeeds and fails and succeeds again.
In 1975, Stanley Kubrick adapted the story for the big screen, earning a Best Picture nomination for his efforts.
IS LINDEN A GENDER-NETURAL NAME?
Nature names in general, and tree names specifically, tend to cross gender lines with ease.
Linden sounds a lot like popular picks Landon, Logan, and even chart-topping Liam.
There’s the tree, the place name, and the US president, too.
Then again, Linda dominated the US popularity charts from the 1940s into the 1960s. Names like Lindsay also blur the lines.
Famous figures include:
- British actress Linden Travers, known for her work in the 1930s and 40s, particularly in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Lady Vanishes. Her birth name? Florence Lindon-Travers.
- More recently, actor Linden Ashby – born Clarence Linden Ashby Jr. – appeared on television series like Teen Wolf.
Factor in athletes, journalists, and other high-profile figures and its hard to say whether this is a boy or girl name.
Historic houses, like London’s Linden House, might also make the name familiar.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME LINDEN?
During the 1940s, Linden surfaced in the US Top 100 boys name list a handful of times.
But mostly, this name has stayed under-the-radar.
As of 2025, 129 boys and 81 girls received the name Linden. Combined, that represents a new high.
Other spellings’ 2025 numbers include:
- Lyndon: 65 boys and 16 girls
- Lynden: 23 boys and 35 girls
- Lindon: 9 boys
As a given name, it leans slightly male. But only slightly.
UNDISCOVERED POSSIBILITY
Overall, the baby name Linden counts as an overlooked nature name rich in possibility.
It fits a vibe parents love right now: surname-meets-nature. History and meaning, without any strongly specific reference to a single person or place.
It’s an obvious way to honor a loved one with a name like Linda or Lindsay, or so many simliar sounds.
If you’re looking for a name that speaks to 21st century trends without being overused in any way, this could be the perfect name for your child.
What do you think of the baby name Linden?
First published on April 5, 2012, this post was revised on October 8, 2014 and again on August 4, 2026.
My husband’s middle name is Linden. I seriously considered it for our first son, but we landed on another name we loved. However, we’re expecting a new baby boy and I’m back on Linden. His mother’s name is Linda also so there’s that connection also. I never considered it to be girly at all, but do like it for a girl also.
I just named my daughter this. Definitely after the tree connotation. Think it’s a lovely, fresh nature name that isn’t very common. Although most of the people who hear just the name (like at the doctors office) call her ‘he’ assuming it’s a boy.
My 19 year old daughter is named Linden after her great grandfather. It has been the perfect, totally appropriate name for her. She has always loved her name. There are three other Lindens in our small town, all born after her: two girls and a boy. She has made it more popular here than it is nationally. It’s a beautiful, gender neutral name. I love it!
My daughters middle name is Linden (i have always loved the name for girl). I played with the spelling to incorporate my maiden name and my mothers maiden name (you can get away with that on a middle name) …
Margot Lindeyn
Oh, pretty! It reminds me of Margot Fonteyn: https://www.ballet.co.uk/old/legend_js_margot_fonteyn.htm
I really like Linden. My mother-in-law is Linda, and it would be nice to have that connection.. I knew a Linden a few years back, lived in Alabama. Really sweet girl, very polite. Only good associations with the name really, and only female associations. Like a previous poster mentioned, many trees have feminine names, and this just seems to fit in there with the rest of them.
I don’t care for Linden at all on a boy. One of my best friends is a man named Kelly, and I’d sooner call that a more gender neutral name than Linden. In my opinion it feels way too soft and flowy to be worn by a little boy.
Linden is one of the few names I truly think of as gender-neutral and can easily see on either gender. However, I would only use it for a boy, myself. And I do really like it as a boy’s name.
I would use the Lyndon spelling for a boy. I like Linden for a girl, but would probably use Linnae instead.
I really like Linden on a boy, but I not too crazy about it on a girl. I was going to say that in general I think trees are masculine, but so many of the established names ( Acacia, Magnolia, Willow, Olive) are considered feminine… so that’s not it. Instead, I’m guessing it a case of Linda, Lindsay and Lauren feel really tired as girl names, but Linden or Loren could be really interesting on a boy.
I’m not a fan of Lyndon.