Show ContentsLin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Lin World Ranking

In the United States, the name Lin is the 1,447th most popular surname with an estimated 22,383 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Lin is ranked the 339th most popular surname with an estimated 13,452 people with that name. 2 And in Australia, the name Lin is the 406th popular surname with an estimated 9,114 people with that name. 3 New Zealand ranks Lin as 400th with 1,638 people. 4


Lin migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Lin, who landed in Maryland in 1663-1664 5
Lin Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Peter Lin who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1737
  • Johann Nickel Lin, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 5
Lin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Gabino Lin, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1872 5

Lin 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:

Lin Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • P.L. Lin, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Belle Creole" in 1853

Contemporary Notables of the name Lin (post 1700) +

  • Tan Mei Lin, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 2004 6
  • Roger Lin Maltbie (b. 1951), American professional golfer and analyst for NBC Sports and ESPN
  • Dr. Jerri Lin Nielsen (1952-2009), American physician, Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station doctor in 1998
  • Gerek Lin Meinhardt (b. 1990), American foil fencer
  • Jennifer Lin Colella (b. 1974), American actress and singer
  • Lin Yanfen (b. 1971), Chinese female badminton player of the 1990s
  • Lin Brehmer (1954-2023), American disc jockey and radio personality at WXRT in Chicago
  • Lin Emery (1926-2021), American visual artist based in New Orleans
  • Lin Grisham, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Missouri, 1912 7
  • Lin Blakley, born Linda E. Stevens, and English actress, known for her role as Pam Coker in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  3. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  4. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  5. 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)
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, July 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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