Contents [hide]

Lynn History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Lynn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland
Scotland

The name Lynn 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 Lynn family

The surname Lynn 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 Lynn family

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

Lynn Spelling Variations

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

Early Notables of the Lynn 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

Lynn Ranking

In the United States, the name Lynn is the 862^nd most popular surname with an estimated 34,818 people with that name. 3 However, in New Zealand, the name Lynn is ranked the 914^th most popular surname with an estimated 808 people with that name. 4

Lynn migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lynn Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. Henry Lynn who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet 5
Mrs. Sarah Lynn who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet 5
George Lynn, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 6

Lynn Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Elizabeth Lynn, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 6
William Lynn, who landed in Virginia in 1758 6
William Lynn, who landed in America in 1793 6

Lynn Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Lynn, who arrived in America in 1805 6
Daniel Lynn, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 6
Eneas Lynn, aged 64, who landed in New York in 1812 6
A W Lynn, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 6
William Lynn, who arrived in St Clair County, Illinois in 1858 6

Lynn migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lynn Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

David Lynn, aged 20, who landed in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833
David Lynn, aged 19, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834
Mr. John Lynn who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Bee" departing from the port of Cork, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in 1847 7
Ms. Margaret Lynn, aged 23 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Phoenix" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in June 1847 7
Mrs. Mary Lynn, aged 28 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "John Munn" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in September 1847 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lynn migration to Australia +

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

Lynn Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Lynn, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on April 1st, 1822, settling in New South Wales, Australia 8
William Lynn, English convict from Norfolk, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on April 1st, 1822, settling in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. William Lynn, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Emerald Isle" on 25th June 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
George Lynn, aged 19, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Utopia"

Lynn 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:

Lynn Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Martha Lynn, (b. 1844), aged 17, British farm servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Mystery" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 7th January 1862 10
William Lynn, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alfred" in 1864 11
Francis Lynn, aged 55, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Conflict" in 1874
Sarah G. Lynn, aged 16, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Conflict" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Lynn (post 1700) +

Loretta Lynn (1932-2022), née Webb, an American country music singer-songwriter, best known for her Coal Miner's Daughter, You Ain't Woman Enough and The Pill, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Dame Vera Lynn DBE (1917-2020), born Vera Margaret Welch, English singer whose career flourished during World War II, known as "The Forces' Sweetheart," best known for her songs "We'll Meet Again", "The White Cliffs of Dover", and "There'll Always Be an England"
Elizabeth Ann Theresa "Betty" Lynn (1926-2021), American actress, best known for her portrayal as Thelma Lou in The Andy Griffith Show; she is the last surviving regular female cast member from the show
Jenny Lynn (d. 2021), American International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) professional figure competitor
Gerry Lynn (1952-2020), American politician who served as the Judge-Executive of Meade County, Kentucky from 2011 to 2020
Robert L. Lynn (1931-2020), American poet and academic, 6th President of Southern Baptist-affiliated Louisiana College
Bob Lynn (1933-2020), American politician, Member of the Alaska House of Representatives (2015-2017)
Bruce Newton Lynn I (1925-2016), American businessman and politician, Louisiana State Representative from northern Caddo and Bossier parishes (1976-1988)
Jeffrey Lynn (1909-1995), born Ragnar Lind, an American actor
Cynthia Lynn (b. 1936), born Zinta Valda Zimilis, a Latvian-born, American actress, best known for her role as Fraulein Helga in Hogan's Heroes
... (Another 16 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/
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 40)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1822 with 190 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1822
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emily
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Archives New Zealand Micro 5019. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Alfred. Retrieved from http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ourstuff/Alfred1864.htm