Show ContentsLynde History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Lynde family

The surname Lynde was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire.

The name Lynne originally meaning "a waterfall," is first noted in the area of Dalry in the years 1200-1300. They were located here and had land and owned the Castle of Lin near the waterfall of the Calf.

"The family of Lin or Lynn of that Ilk in the parish of Dairy, Ayrshire, took their name from the cascade on the Water of Caaf, near which stood the ancient castle of Lin." 1

Black also notes another possible origin of the family. "From the old manor of the same name in Peeblesshire. David de Lyne son of Robert de Lyne, granted to Neubode 'totam peteram de locqueruard que vocatur Wluesstrother,' c. 1165-1214, a grant increased by his son Robert within the same period." 1

The barony of Lynn was created from lands granted by Hugh de Morville in 1204. Later, John de la Linde was Warden of the City of London in 1265. Walter de Lynne was listed on the Ragman Rolls of 1296.

Early History of the Lynde family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lynde research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1263, 1296, 1452, 1579, 1626, 1636, 1737, 1781 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lynde History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lynde Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Lind, Lynd, Lynde, Lynn, Line, Lines and others.

Early Notables of the Lynde family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • Lynn of Ayrshire; and Sir Henry Lynde (1579-1636), an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1626

Lynde Ranking

In the United States, the name Lynde is the 16,445th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Lynde family to Ireland

Some of the Lynde family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 73 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Lynde migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lynde Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Henry Lynde, from Dunstable, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1634 aboard the ship "Griffin", bound for Charlestown.
  • Thomas Lynde, from Dunstable, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1634 aboard the ship "Griffin", bound for Charlestown.
  • Mrs. Margaret Lynde, from Dunstable, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1634 aboard the ship "Griffin", bound for Charlestown. 3
  • Thomas Lynde, Jr., from Dunstable, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1634 aboard the ship "Griffin", bound for Charlestown. 3
  • Thomas Lynde, who arrived in Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1645 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Lynde Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • J B Lynde, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 3

Lynde migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lynde Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Asa Lynde, who landed in Canada in 1841

Contemporary Notables of the name Lynde (post 1700) +

  • Charles W. Lynde (1790-1860), American lawyer and politician, New York State Senator (1831-1834)
  • William Pitt Lynde (1817-1885), American lawyer and politician from Wisconsin, Mayor of Milwaukee (1860-1861), Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin (1848-1849)
  • Stan Lynde (b. 1931), American comic artist, painter and novelist
  • Paul Edward Lynde (1926-1982), American comedian and actor, best known for his roles as Uncle Arthur on Bewitched
  • Dorothea Lynde Dix (1802-1887), American activist on behalf of the indigent insane
  • Roy Lynde Fernald (b. 1901), American politician, Member of Maine State House of Representatives from Waldo County (4th), 1931-32; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Maine, 1932
  • John Lynde Greene (1806-1879), American politician, Member of Ohio State House of Representatives, 1855; Mayor of Fremont, Ohio, 1859; Common Pleas Court Judge in Ohio, 1861-64 4


The Lynde Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Semper virescit virtus
Motto Translation: Virtue always flourishes.


  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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