Lindsay (name)

Lindsay is an English surname, originally derived from the territory of Lindsey in Lincolnshire, from the Old English toponym Lindesege "Lindum Isle", i.e. "marshlands of Lincoln".

In the late 19th century, the surname gave rise to the given name Lindsay (and variants Lindsey, Lyndsy, etc.) in the United States, at first as a male given name, and since the mid-20th century increasingly as a female given name. Its popularity as a girls' name is due to the actress Lindsay Wagner (born 1949 as Lindsay Jean Wagner), who became famous in 1976 as The Bionic Woman. It was the 314th most popular name for girls born in the United States in 2007, having ranked among the top 200 names for girls from the 1970s through the 1990s. The alternative spelling Lindsey ranked as the 226th most popular name for girls born in 2007 in the United States.

Surname

The surname is ultimately connected to the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Lindsey.

The surname of Lindsay continued to be borne by the Earls of Balcarres and Earls of Crawford, down to the current holder of the title, Robert Lindsay, 29th Earl of Crawford (b. 1927), while the Earls of Lindsay have used the additional surname of Lindesay since its adoption by Reginald Lindesay-Bethune, 12th Earl of Lindsay in 1919.