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-lynn is ultimately a diminutive suffix - derriving from the german diminutive suffix -ina/-ine.
Carla > Carline > Caroline > Carolyn
Paula > Pauline
Adelheid > Adelina > Adalyn

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So it's easy to just add it to another name. An easy way to create an new name.

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-leigh/-ley is ultimately an Old English suffix -leah "clearing".
Ashley
Hailey
Riley
...

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So it's easy to just add it to another name and create a new one.

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I also guess, it sounds feminine and cute to many people.

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It's the same with -den for boys.

-line, -lyn, and -lina are common feminine suffixes, often used in feminine forms of masculine names: Emmeline, Caroline, Evelyn, Rosaline, Pauline, Adeline…

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-ly and -lie are also common endings in English: Cecily, Emily, Molly, Lily, Dolly, Milly, Rosalie, Ottilie, Julie…

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So it makes sense that surnames with these endings would become popular names and that people would use these suffixes to create new names and new feminine forms by attaching them to existing names.

This message was edited 4/18/2025, 3:00 PM

They’ve been raising for the last 20+ years. Personally, I saw -Leigh and -Lynn originally rising when parents were looking to “feminize” masculine names. There was a huge trend of boys names on girls because people thought they were “spunky” but then they started feminizing them like Hunterlyn and Everleigh, etc. (even your examples, Oak & Bry were originally masculine names). Now people will literally take any base name, male or female, and just add a -Lynn or -Leigh onto it because it’s a popular trend, and people love jumping on trends.

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The same goes for -Lee/-ly/-lyn

This message was edited 4/17/2025, 5:30 PM