Lynn
A surname that often points to the town of Lynn in Norfolk, or more broadly to a place-name origin meaning simply “from Lynn.”
The #924 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 8,202 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is usually taken from the place-name Lynn, especially Bishop’s Lynn, the old name of King’s Lynn in Norfolk. The name is commonly linked to a water or pool term, ultimately from a Celtic or pre-English root that entered place-names in Britain, so the literal sense is probably something like “place by a pool” or “water.” In surname use, it simply identified someone who came from that place. Lower explicitly treats Lynn as a place-name surname and directs readers to Lin.
History
The name appears in medieval records as a locational byname for people associated with Lynn in Norfolk. Because King’s Lynn was an important port and market town, the surname could spread away from East Anglia quite early. It also survives as an independent given name and as part of other surnames such as Linn or Lynne in some families.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
King’s Lynn was long known as Bishop’s Lynn, which is the form often echoed in older surname references.
From the historical record
“lines or cords 1 LYNN. See Lin. Also the town iu Norfolk. L YNNELL. Perhaps the baptismal name Lionel. LYON. 1. Lord Strathmore's family descend from John de Lyon, ^vho obtained from King David II. baronies and lands in”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom