Linden
A surname usually taken from the linden, or lime tree, often pointing to someone who lived near such a tree or grove.
The #5,534 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 49,195 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Linden is ultimately a tree-name surname. In older English and Scots usage, lind referred to the linden or lime tree, and surnames such as De la Lynde or Lynde were used for someone living by a notable linden tree or linden-covered place. The same idea appears in other European languages as well, with French and Latin forms meaning a linden grove or linden tree. The modern surname can therefore be either a direct locational name or a later spelling influenced by the common tree word.
History
Historical sources show the related surname forms Lynde, Lind, and De la Lynde in medieval England, and similar forms appear across the Teutonic and Romance languages. In Britain, many examples are local surnames tied to specific places or landmarks, and some place names such as Lindsey were also explained as meaning "linden isle." The spelling Linden is especially familiar in Germanic-language areas, but in English-speaking countries it can also reflect anglicized or simplified family spellings.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Old surname writers sometimes used the lime tree and the linden tree as interchangeable names, which is why these surnames can look different while pointing to the same plant.
From the historical record
“Tree Grove [Fr. Tillet, f. Lat. tiliet-um ■ — tilia, a linden- or Ume-tree, with the plantatioa-suff. -et-um] Marquis du Tillet.— Pam Direct. ,”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)