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Linden History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Linden History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
England
Germany
Scotland
Sweden

The name Linden comes from the Rhineland, an ancient region of Germany. In pre-medieval times, the Germans used only one name, but later they were forced by a growing population to adopt hereditary surnames, so as to remain distinct from others using the same personal (first) name. Local names derived from place names, were often chosen. They originally indicated land ownership, and frequently carried the prefix von, meaning "of" or "from", which is often taken as an indication of aristocratic lineage. Linden was a name for some one lived beside a grove of lime trees. The family name Linden is derived from the German word linde, which means lime tree. The original bearer was named for his proximity to a hill crowned by lime trees.

Early Origins of the Linden family

The surname Linden was first found in the Lower Rhine, where this family became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Chronicles first mention Henczel unter der lynden of Freiberg (Saxony) in 1383, Hannus von der Linde in 1440, Jacob Lindner of Tirol in 1348, Johann van Lynder of the lower Rhine in 1528, and Hermann Lindeman of Hanover in 1335. Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as they emerged to form alliances with other families within the feudal system.

Early History of the Linden family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Linden research. Another 257 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1520, 1562, 1563, 1650, 1705, 1760, 1836, 1842, 1852, 1873, 1934, 1938 and 1939 are included under the topic Early Linden History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Linden Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Linden include Linde, Linden Linder, Lindner, Lindener and others.

Early Notables of the Linden family

Notables with the name Linden during this period were

Michael Lindener (1520-1562), who was a strolling scholar and schoolmaster in Nuremberg, Ulm, and Augsburg, where he was finally executed for murder...

Linden Ranking

In the United States, the name Linden is the 6,431^st most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Linden migration to the United States +

Between the 17th and 20th centuries, hundreds of thousands of Europeans came to North America, and many Rhinelanders were among them. They had many various reasons for making the choice: to escape poverty and persecution, for adventure, and for the opportunity to own their own land. Ellis Island, one of the main American immigration centers, saw many settlers as they moved on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, they found homes in Ontario, and on the great plains of the Midwestern provinces. The Linden were among of the early German families that came to North America:

Linden Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Andreas Linden, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 2

Linden Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Abraham vanDer Linden, who settled in Philadelphia in 1806
John Linden, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1808 2
Daniel Linden, aged 32, who landed in Maryland in 1813 2
Ann Linden, who settled in Baltimore in 1831
Hugh, John, Joseph and Patrick Linden, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1840
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Linden Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Gustaf Aineo Linden, who arrived in Mississippi in 1905 2
Alexander Linden, who settled in New York in 1908

Linden migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Linden Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Linden who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Ann" departing 16th May 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 30th June 1847 but he died on board 3
Carl Linden, who arrived in Quebec in 1854

Contemporary Notables of the name Linden (post 1700) +

Trevor John Linden C.M. O.B.C. (b. 1970), nicknamed "Captain Canuck", retired Canadian professional NHL ice hockey player, NHLPA President
Hal Linden (b. 1931), American seven-time Primetime Emmy Award and three-time Golden Globe Award nominated stage and screen actor, television director and musician, best known role in the television comedy series Barney Miller
Todd Anthony "Moose" Linden (b. 1980), American Major League Baseball outfielder
Eric Linden (1909-1994), American actor
Edwin Gilbert "Edward" Linden (1888-1956), American cinematographer, best known for his work on King Kong (1933) and Son of Kong (1933)
Brigadier-General Henning Linden (1892-1984), American Assistant Commanding General 42nd Division (1944-1945) 4
Joel A. Vander Linden, American politician, Candidate in primary for Mayor of Warren, Michigan, 2003 5
Edward Sean Linden (1935-2023), born John Edward Glackin, a Scottish poet, literary magazine editor and political activist
Stella Linden (b. 1919), born Stella M Marsden, English actress and writer
Michael Rory "Mickey" Linden, Irish Gaelic footballer
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"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)
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. 84)
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, April 2) Henning Linden. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Linden/Henning/USA.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html