LINDSEY
Lindsey is a surname of both English and Scottish origin. It is originally a place name from the British Isles, recorded in England and later adopted within Scotland in the early twelfth century.
In its earliest usage the name is linked to the Old English personal names Lindi or Lindig, which mean “island” or “linden tree”. It was used to describe a person who lived near a linden tree or on an island, and over time it became a hereditary surname. The surname spread through the Anglo‑Saxon territories and, by the late Middle Ages, was found in both England and Scotland.
The earliest recorded form of the name is that of Sir Walter de Lindeseya, dated 1124. The name appears in the charter of the See of Glasgow during the reign of King David I, a period that spanned from 1124 to 1153. The surname was next noted in the English record in the year 1272, where it is associated with a person named Lindsey of Suffolk.
A strong association with Scotland is recorded, but the name’s ancestry can be traced to Norman origins, specifically from De dimesay in the Pays de Caux, near Rouen. The name entered Scotland in the early twelfth century, although it did not appear in English documents until the late twelfth century. Historical sources also note that members of the clan Mac Clintoch, for reasons unknown, adopted the surname Lindsey. The name has survived in nearly two hundred different spellings, including variations such as Lindissi – a form thought to derive from the British name of Lincolnshire.
In modern times individuals bearing the surname Lindsey can be found worldwide, with a concentration in English‑speaking countries. The surname remains a notable example of how place‑based names evolved from personal identifiers to family names across the British Isles and beyond.
Typical given names associated with the Lindsey surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- Ian
- James
- John
- Mark
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Simon
Female
- Elizabeth
- Gillian
- Helen
- Janet
- Jennifer
- Joanne
- Karen
- Kate
- Margaret
- Mary
- Sarah
- Sharon
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Lindsey in...
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There are approximately 2,594 people named Lindsey in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,417th most common surname in Britain. Around 40 in a million people in Britain are named Lindsey.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Lindsey
- Theophilus Lindsey - Theologian and clergyman (1723 to 1808)
- Scott Lindsey - Football player
- Keith Lindsey - Football player (1946 to 2003)
- Peter Lindsey - Cricketer
- Barry Lindsey -
- Charles Lindsey - -born Canadian journalist, editor, writer, and office holder (1820 to 1908)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.