Show ContentsLinden History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Linden is derived from the German word "linde" meaning lime tree. It was a topographic name for someone who lived near a lime tree. There are also several places named for this word, especially in northern Germany, and as such people may have adopted the habitation name as a surname. There are several Swedish compound names, created ornamentally from the root "Lind," they include Lindberg, Lindström, Lindbloom and others.

Linden Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Lindros and others.

Linden Ranking

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


United States Linden migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

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

Canada 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.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. 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)
  4. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, April 2) Henning Linden. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Linden/Henning/USA.html
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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