Contents [hide]

Linn History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Linn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland
Scotland

The name Linn is derived from either of the locals in Norfolk and Devon that are so named. Both locals date back to the Domesday Book.

Early Origins of the Linn family

The surname Linn was first found in Norfolk, where one of the first records of the name was Aedricus de Lenna who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of that county in 1177. The name was derived from King's Lynn in Norfolk and dates back to the Domesday Book.

The Domesday Book has the following entries of interest: West Lynn comprised 58 acres of meadow, 3 acres of land and was held by Ralph Baynard; the Abbot of Ely formerly held another Lynn which only had 13 acres. All told, there were listings of North, South and West Lynn in the reference. To complicate matters more, the same reference lists William Chevre holding lands of East and West Lyn in Devonshire. 1.

Early records in Devon list Cecillia de Lynn during the reign of Edward I, and Reginald de Lynne listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 2

Early History of the Linn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Linn research. The years 1348, 1396, 1420 and 1423 are included under the topic Early Linn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Linn Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Lynn, Linn and others.

Early Notables of the Linn family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Nicholas of Lynn or Lynne, (Latin: Nicolas de Linna), an early English astronomer of the 14th century from King's Lynn

Linn Ranking

In the United States, the name Linn is the 2,283^rd most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 3

Linn migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Linn Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Joseph Linn, who arrived in Maryland in 1680 4

Linn Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Peter Linn, who arrived in America in 1739 4
Adam Linn, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 4
Johann Nickel Linn, who arrived in America in 1753 4
Philip Henry Linn, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 4
Nicholas Linn, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Linn Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

David Linn, who arrived in America in 1811 4
Daniel Linn, who landed in New York, NY in 1815 4
Robert Linn, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1818 4
John Linn, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1830 4
Andley Linn, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1840 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Linn Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

John Edward Linn, who landed in Mississippi in 1903 4

Linn migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Linn Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Masters Linn, (b. 1787), aged 29, English brick layer who was convicted in Sussex, England for life for larceny, transported aboard the "Fame" on 9th October 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1827 5
Matthew Linn, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Asia" in 1839 6
Margaret Linn, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Asia" in 1839 6
Christian Linn, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Asia" in 1839 6
James Linn, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Asia" in 1839 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Linn migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Linn Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Jane Linn, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "British Queen" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 30th August 1859 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Linn (post 1700) +

Roger Linn, American inventor of the Linn LM-1, the first programmable digital drum machine, recipient of a Grammy Award for Lifetime Technical Achievement
Michael Linn, American businessman and oilman, founder of Linn Energy, LLC an independent oil and natural gas company based in Houston, Texas in 2003
Richard Linn (b. 1944), American Senior United States Circuit Judge, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (1999-2012)
Ray Linn (1920-1996), American jazz trumpeter
Rex Maynard Linn (b. 1956), American film and television actor, best known for his role as Frank Tripp in the television series CSI: Miami
Robert P. Linn (1908-2004), American politician, second longest-serving mayor in the United States-58 years
Lewis Fields Linn (1796-1843), American Democratic U.S. Senator for the state of Missouri, eponym of Mount Linn, California
John Blair Linn (1777-1804), American poet
Bambi Linn (b. 1926), born Bambina Linnemeier, American dancer, choreographer, and actress
Holman Harry Linn, American inventor of the Linn tractor, a heavy duty civilian half-track or crawler tractor
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
State Library of South Australia. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) ASIA 1839 from London with Captain Benjamin Freeman and 245 passengers, arrived Port Adelaide on 16-07-1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Asia-list.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html