Baby Name of the Day: Linus

The baby name Linus brings to mind a beloved animated character, but it’s so much more, too.

Thanks to Tara for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.

LINUS in the ANCIENT WORLD

The baby name Linus likely comes from the Greek linos, meaning flax. Our word linen comes from the Latin linum, which is probably a cousin to the Greek.

If you can picture the color of flax – or traditional linen fabric – then you can imagine it as a hair color, too. So Linus might’ve first suggested a fair-haired blonde.

Speaking of firsts, the first Linus that appears in the written record is the son of Apollo. A series of unfortunate events – this is mythology, after all – leads to Linus’ tragic death. Laments or dirges – ailinos in Greek – are sung.

There’s a second story – or maybe another version of the original – that makes Linus of Thrace a talented musician who rivaled Apollo. His death, likewise, prompted dirges.

So it’s equally possible that Linus’ name suggests such sorrowful music.

In any case, the baby name Linus was used steadily in the ancient world.

There’s a Linus mentioned in the New Testament. It’s also the name of the second pope. Pope Linus succeeded Peter as Bishop of Rome around the year 67.

Odds are that the first century Saint Linus, as well as the Biblical reference, explain the name’s long history of use.

LINUS VAN PELT

If there’s one figure that instantly comes to mind for many, it’s the Great-Pumpkin-believing, Christmas-pageant-narrating Linus Van Pelt, Charlie Brown’s best friend. He first appeared in the comic strip in 1952, early in the series’ evolution.

Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz named the character after a dear friend of his own.

He’s the younger brother to Lucy, and the philosophical, thoughtful voice among the Peanuts cast.

While comic strip characters don’t necessarily make names more wearable, smart and caring Linus is quite appealing.

SILVER SCREEN

Two more fictional characters might come to mind:

• In 1954, Humphrey Bogart played Linus Larrabee opposite Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina. She’s the daughter of the chauffeur to the fabulously wealthy Larrabee family. As you can probably guess, the two fall in love. The movie was remade in 1995 with Harrison Ford as Linus and Julia Ormond as Sabrina.
• Fans of the Oceans Eleven franchise might know that Matt Damon plays Linus Caldwell, son of legendary con man Bobby Caldwell and an essential part of Danny Ocean’s crew for three movies.

That’s a pretty solid cast of leading men to answer to Linus. There’s also Lost’s Ben Linus, Jimmy Stewart’s character in How the West Was Won, and a Star Trek: Discovery character who answered to Linus.

IN REAL LIFE

Famous figures to answer to the name include:

• Born in Oregon in 1901, Linus Pauling won the Nobel Prize prize for his work in two fields – chemistry and peace.
• Helsinki-born software engineer Linus Torvalds, responsible for developing the open source Linux operating system. Torvalds’ name was chosen in honor of Pauling.
• British actor Linus Roache’s long career started in the 1980s, and has continued through today. Even if you don’t recognize the name, you might know him from television; he’s appeared in two Law & Order series, as well as Vikings and Homeland.

BY the NUMBERS

Despite these uses, the baby name Linus has never been particularly popular in the US. It appeared in the US Top 1000 a handful of times, most recently in 1940.

It’s fared better in Europe, particularly in Scandinavia, Germany, and Switzerland. But it’s not wildly popular anywhere at the moment.

As of 2023, 114 boys received the name, down from 126 in 2022, but up from 112 in 2021. That’s not rare or unknown, but it’s also not trending.

In other words? The baby name Linus isn’t waiting for a revival – it’s yet to be discovered.

THOUGHTFUL and RARE

Overall, the baby name Linus feels thoughtful and sweet, just like the Peanuts character.

But it’s rich with history and nicely familiar, appearing from the ancient world to twenty-first century pop culture at a steady pace.

That means Linus could be the perfect brother for Henry or Oliver, or a substitute for parents worried that Leo and Silas are too popular.

What do you think of the baby name Linus?

Originally published September 8, 2008, this post was revised on April 2, 2012 and again on July 11, 2024.