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 names Lindsay and Lindsey in the United States, at first as a masculine given name, and since the mid-20th century, increasingly as a feminine given name. Its popularity as a girls' name is due to actress Lindsay Wagner (born 1949 as Lindsay Jean Wagner), who became famous in 1976 as The Bionic Woman. Lindsey was the 570th most popular name for girls born in the United States in 2014, while Lindsay ranked 653rd. Both spellings ranked among the top 100 names for girls from 1980 through 1993, with Lindsey peaking at #35 in 1983 and 1984 and Lindsay peaking at #36 in the same years.