Lynn (surname)
Appearance
Lynn is a surname of Irish origin, English, Welsh or Scottish. It has a number of separate derivations:
- A locational surname from any of a number of places in England, the place name in turn may have derived from Brittonic lenna (pool or lake).[1] Llyn means lake in modern Welsh.
- A locational surname in Scotland of Irish origin, the place name derived from Scottish Gaelic linne, in turn from Old Irish linn, meaning water feature or pool.[1]
- A surname derived from a personal name in the north of Ireland, originally O'Fhloinn, later O' Loinn, O'Lynn and Lynn.[1] See also the surnames Flynn and O'Flynn.[2]
The earliest recorded instance of the surname is Aedricus de Lenna of King's Lynn, Norfolk, in 1177.[1][3]
Notable people with the surname include:
Arts and entertainment
[edit]- Allison Lynn (born 1971), American author
- Amber Lynn (born 1964), pornographic actress
- Ann Lynn (1933–2020), British actress
- Barbara Lynn (born 1943), American musician
- Barry C. Lynn, American author
- Betty Lynn (1926–2021), American actress
- Cheryl Lynn (born 1957), American musician
- Cynthia Lynn (1937–2014), Latvian actress
- Chelcie Lynn (born 1987), American influencer
- Diana Lynn (1926–1971), American actress
- Eleanor Lynn (1916–1996), American actress
- Elizabeth A. Lynn (born 1946), American author
- Emmett Lynn (1897–1958), American actor
- Frances Lynn, English journalist and author
- Ginger Lynn (born 1964), pornographic actress
- Henry Lynn (1895–1994), American director and screenwriter
- Jeffrey Lynn (1909–1995), American actor
- Jenny Lynn (photographer) (born 1953), American photographer
- Jonathan Lynn (born 1943), English actor and writer
- Common (born Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr. in 1972), American rapper
- Loretta Lynn (1932–2022), American country singer-songwriter
- Margaret E. Lynn (1924–2002), American theatre director
- Meredith Scott Lynn, American actress
- Porsche Lynn (born 1962), pornographic actress
- Ralph Lynn (1882–1962), British actor
- Robert Lynn (director) (1918–1982), British film and TV director
- Robert L. Lynn (1931–2020), American poet
- Sherry Lynn, American voice actress
- Tami Lynn (1942–2020), American musician
- Tanisha Lynn (born 1978), American actress
- Vera Lynn (1917–2020), British singer, the "forces' sweetheart" during WW2
Business and politics
[edit]- Bob Lynn (1933–2020), American politician
- Charlie Lynn (born 1945), Australian politician
- C. Stephen Lynn, American businessman
- Evelyn J. Lynn (born 1930), American politician
- Gerry Lynn (politician) (1952–2020), American politician
- James Thomas Lynn (1927–2010), American political official
- John P. Lynn, American businessman
- Oliver Lynn (1926–1996), American talent manager and husband of Loretta Lynn
- Kathleen Lynn (1874–1955), Irish politician and doctor
- Laurence Lynn, Jr., American political scientist
- Robert Lynn (Australian politician) (1873–1928)
- Robert Lynn (Northern Ireland politician) (1873–1945), Ulster politician
- Uriel Lynn, Israeli politician
- Wauhope Lynn (1856–1920), Irish-American lawyer, judge, and politician
Military
[edit]- Alan R. Lynn (fl. 1979–present), U.S. Army lieutenant general
- John Lynn (VC) (1887–1915), English recipient of the Victoria Cross
- John A. Lynn, American military historian
Sports
[edit]- Alex Lynn, English racing driver
- Anthony Lynn (born 1968), American football player and coach
- Billy Lynn (1947–2014), English footballer
- Byrd Lynn (1889–1940), American baseball player
- Chris Lynn (born 1990), Australian cricketer
- David Lynn (golfer) (born 1973), English golfer
- Fred Lynn (born 1952), American baseball player
- Gerry Lynn, Australian footballer
- Janet Lynn (born 1953), American figure skater
- Jenny Lynn, fitness and figure competitor
- Jerry Lynn (born 1963), American wrestler
- Jerry Lynn (baseball) (1916–1972), American baseball player
- Joe Lynn (1925–1992), English footballer
- Johnnie Lynn (born 1956), American football player
- Kendrick Lynn (born 1982), New Zealand rugby player
- Lance Lynn (born 1987), American baseball player
- Lonnie Lynn (1943–2014), American basketball player
- Mike Lynn (1936–2012), American football executive
- Mike Lynn (basketball) (born 1945), American basketball player
- Sammy Lynn (1920–1995), English footballer
- Stan Lynn (1928–2002), English footballer
- Stevie Lynn, English wrestler
- Vic Lynn (1925–2010), Canadian ice hockey player
Other
[edit]- Audra Lynn (born 1980), American model and Playboy Playmate of the Month
- Barry W. Lynn (born 1948), American minister and activist
- Cassandra Lynn (born 1979), American model and Playboy Playmate of the Month
- David Lynn (architect) (1873–1961), American architect
- Donna Lynn (born 1936), American model and Playboy Playmate of the Month
- Greg Lynn (born 1964), American architect
- Nancy Lynn (c. 1956–2006), American aerobatic pilot
- Naomi B. Lynn (born 1933), American academic
- Peter Lynn (born 1946), New Zealand kite flier
- Regina Lynn (born 1971), American blogger
- Richard Lynn (1930–2023), British psychologist
- Robert J. Lynn (New Hampshire judge), justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court
- Wiley Lynn (c. 1891–1932), American murderer
- William Henry Lynn (1829–1915), British architect
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Internet Surname Database – Linn (Lynn)
- ^ Internet Surname Database – Flynn
- ^ Discovering Surnames, Freeman JW, Shire Publications, 3rd ed. 2001, (reprinted 2007), pp 37 (Lynn, Linn, Lenn)