Link
Masculine · “colony by the pool”
Link is Lincoln shortened, and the city's name is half Celtic and half Latin — lindo, a pool, joined to colonia, a Roman veterans' settlement.
How old is the name Link?
Link first appears in US birth records in 1893 — 132 years ago. The typical Link is a kid of about 9 — this name's wave is very recent. About 2,500 people named Link are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Link most popular?
Link peaked in 1893, reaching #907 nationally. Today it ranks #1571, 664 places below that high. See the whole 1893 chart.
Link appears on these lists:
Where it comes from
From Lindum Colonia to Link
The story of Link
Lincoln was a Roman colonia and later one of England's great cathedral cities; Abraham Lincoln's family took the surname from it. American given-name use of Lincoln rose sharply from the 2000s, and Link followed as both its clipping and a name registered outright — helped by a video-game hero of that name. It is in current use.
Meaning
colony by the pool
Through Lincoln, from the Celtic lindo, 'pool' — the same element as Dublin's linn — and the Latin colonia, a settlement of retired legionaries. Lindum Colonia contracted to Lincoln over fifteen centuries. The English word link, a chain ring, is a separate Norse word and is not the source.
How the name formed
- Lindum Colonia
- Lincoln
- Link
Related forms: Lincoln · Linc
Pronouncing Link
LINK
One syllable. It is a homophone of the ordinary English noun, which has a different origin.
Nicknames for Link
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1893
- Most boys named
- 2018158 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #907reached in 1893
- Change vs 2023
- −26.5%108 in 2025, from 147
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Link in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Lincoln in English — related form
- Linc in English — spelling variant
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Texas, Ohio.
Links among us
people named Link are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 15,816 born in 2025 was named Link
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Link sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Link is headed
Link should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Link beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Link in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- The half-Celtic, half-Latin etymology is a genuinely good piece of history.
- Lincoln is available as a full formal version and is fully current.
- One syllable, firm, and never mispronounced.
- It is a homophone of an ordinary English noun that is not its source.
- A video-game hero carries a strong association.
- Given outright it stays informal; Lincoln on the certificate keeps both registers.
Nobody names a baby alone.
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What they receive
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Link
Masculine · #1571 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Links are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 2,500 people named Link are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Link in 2025?
- Link ranks #1571 among US boy names in 2025, with 108 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Link?
- About 1 in every 15,816 US boys born in 2025 was named Link — 108 in all.
- Will my child share the name Link with classmates?
- Link will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Link
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Keon#1571 · Jiovanni#1571 · Emeric#1571 · Constantine#1571 · Vivaan#1571 · Lucky#1571 · Neel#1571 · Alias#1571
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Link? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Link and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
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Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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