Lynn (surname) explained

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

• 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

• 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

• Alan R. Lynn, U.S. Army lieutenant general
• John Lynn (VC) (1887–1915), English recipient of the Victoria Cross
• John A. Lynn, American military historian

Sports

• 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

• 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

• Linn (surname)
• Lyn (surname)
• Lynne (surname)

Notes and References

1. http://www.surnamedb.com/surname.aspx?name=Linn Internet Surname Database – Linn (Lynn)
2. http://www.surnamedb.com/surname.aspx?name=Flynn Internet Surname Database – Flynn
3. Discovering Surnames, Freeman JW, Shire Publications, 3rd ed. 2001, (reprinted 2007), pp 37 (Lynn, Linn, Lenn)