Why did they make Lindsay a feminine name when it was first a masculine name to start with? Like Lindsay Graham for example, I think it fits both genders man and woman there shouldn't be a right or wrong way to name your child whether it a boy or girl. The name Lindsay goes well with one, in my opinion the name can be masculine and feminine.
I love my name Seth because I'm use to it as my birth name. But I like the name Lindsay for a man as well as a woman, I think it goes good for both genders.
― Anonymous User 5/30/2022
5
Here we go again... I always see people complaining about which gender these names should actually be, when the truth is, you don't have to! The parents can name their son Lindsay or Lindsey if they want. It depends.Personally, I love this name...on a boy or girl!
For all the people who are like "I hate that this is a unisex name" you are wrong. These are Scottish names, In old Scottish times people had names like this, Mackenzie, and Aiden. And guess what- they were MASCULINE.
It's a beautiful name and makes me think of Linden trees.Just please don't use a weird spelling variant such as Linzi or Lynsey.
― Anonymous User 7/6/2021
5
Name for both genders, however it feels like a female name, looks feminine, also sounds feminine. Maybe because it reminds me of the female name Linda. I see this as good name for women!
I actually think this name is under-appreciated. It’s lovely. And I’m going to go against the grain and say that I prefer this spelling over the -ey ending. It might not look quite like the way it’s pronounced but that’s the case with lots of names.I think this would be on my shortlist for a baby girl.
Everyone says that Lindsay is better on girls because it's too feminine, but I think that Lindsay looks great on boys too. It sounds good in both genders. I like Lindsay, Lyndsay and Linzi for boys. Again, a lot of people say that is a female name and bla bla bla, but I really do like those three names for boys.
Lindsay is a girl name to me... anyways, it was like Madison, a surname sometimes used as a male name which became popular as a female name. Never a popular male name, (neither were a lot of surnames that are considered feminine names, though). On a man, it sounds kind of old, not exactly in a bad way but it would sound odd on a little boy. It would fit someone Scottish. On a woman, it is so common but not ugly. It is less annoying them Ashley or Megan, but I would expect Lindsay, Ashley and Megan to be around the same age. Lindsay is so much better then Linda, though.
― Anonymous User 12/6/2019
1
It's pretty and feminine, not too crazy about the meaning. I prefer Lindsey.
― Anonymous User 8/3/2019
1
Why not stick to Lindsey? Although it’s not the original name it is the correct spelling of the original means.
I wouldn’t name a boy Lindsay, even though it was originally a male's name. It sounds too feminine for a boy and he is more likely to get bullied and beaten up for having a girly name as of right now than before. Lindsey Bucklingham is a good famous bearer despite his feminine name. With that being said, Lindsay sounds better as a girl’s name. Lindsay Lohan is probably responsible for this name becoming too feminine, oh well. I like the name Lindsay, but for a girl though. I also prefer the spelling Lindsey, because it’s spelled how it’s pronounced. Lindsay looks like it should be pronounced lin-say.
According to howmanyofme.com, there are twelve people in the U.S. named Lindsay Lindsay, thirteen named Lindsey Lindsay, twenty-five named Lindsey Lindsey and twenty-four named Lindsay Lindsey!
According to howmanyofme.com, there are three people in the U.S. named Lindsay Woolsey. (There is a character so named in Auntie Mame, at least in the play and movie. (I don't know about the novel.)) There are also three people in the U.S. named Lindsey Woolsey.
In 2018, 27 is the most common age for an American (U.S.) Lindsay who is registered female with the Social Security Administration. It is the 424th most common female first name for living U.S. citizens. In 2018, 50 is the most common age for an American (U.S.) Lindsay who is registered male with the Social Security Administration. It is the 3, 675th most common male first name for living U.S. citizens.
― Anonymous User 10/18/2018
4
I noticed that Lindsay is more of a newer name, but a similar name like Linda is mostly for older women born in the 1940's and 1950's. Names are fads, they come and go with each generation. A name like Lisa peaked in popularity in the 1960's for births but then it fell sharply and now almost nobody names their newborn daughters Lisa. Other names, like Olivia, Ava, Zoe, and Emma are popular now. Names that were popular for births in the 1980's like Jessica, Ashley, Brittany, Megan, Amanda, etc. Are hardly used anymore. If you group names by generation then you will see that at least for females every generation from the early 1900's to now had different names for each generation. For example, Mildred and Edith were mostly popular in the early 20th century, whereas Karen, Lisa, Linda, Barbara were more popular for the baby boomers 1940's to the 1960's and Jennifer, Melissa, Kimberly, Michelle, and Tammy scream born in the 1970's and Jessica, Ashley, Megan, Brittany were more popular for births in the 1980's, and Alexis, Grace, Madison are more 90's. My name is Kierstenne, which isn't too common in that spelling. It's pronounced Keerstin.
So... My name is Lynsea. That spelling. It's a beautiful name. The only thing is how people pronounce it. It's not Lindsay. Whoever said they came up with that spelling, my mom and dad beat you!
To be honest... I think it'd be pretty cool if this name was considered more "masculine" in the States. As an American myself, I could only imagine what sort of things people who don't know the origins of the name could say to them. I guess it could be more feminine-sounding because of the "ee" sound, but names like Johnny and Finley are more masculine and they end in "ee", so...
Lots of people are saying it's a shame that it's unisex because it's purely feminine but it WAS ORIGINALLY A MALE NAME.
― Anonymous User 6/14/2017
4
The meaning of Lindsay appears to have morphed over the past 30-40 years. As this is my name, I've spent much time tracing its roots. My parents named me after my immigrant Scottish grandmother, our first matriarchal ancestor from my father's side born in the U.S. She was born in the late 1880s and given her name of Barbara Lindsay via letter sent across the Atlantic by my great grandparents in Glasgow. In time, my oldest cousin received the name of Barbara, and I was gifted with Lindsay. I didn't care for the name at all during childhood--it made me stand out from the crowd and feel different, which I didn't like. Since teen and adulthood, I have come to embrace it gratefully-- as it makes me stand out from the crowd and feel different. When I first researched the meaning while in my early 30s, I found that it was derived from an old island off the coast of Scotland referred to as The Isle of Serpents. An alternative meaning was 'serpent.' Learning this was a bit unsettling. I shared the news with my parents, who became quite upset, as they valued the name highly as a family heirloom name. Since that time, the various actresses with the name have popularized it, and the companies that publish baby name books now present Lindsay in a softer, more lovely treatment. 'A lovely island,' 'Island of Linden Trees' or 'Island of LimeTrees' is most becoming. I like that, but I can't say those are the authentic meanings. I prefer authenticity and still stand by my old book, a Merriam-Webster Dictionary, probably printed in the late 40s or 50s. I'm still searching for older books with accuracy.
Lindsay Dee Lohan is an American actress and singer. Lohan began her career as a child fashion model when she was three, and was later featured on the soap opera Another World for a year when she was 10. At age 11, Lohan made her motion picture debut in Disney's commercially and critically successful 1998 remake of The Parent Trap. Her next major motion picture, Disney's 2003 remake of Freaky Friday, was also a critical and commercial success. With the release of Mean Girls, another critical and commercial success, and Disney's Herbie: Fully Loaded, another commercial success, Lohan became a teen idol sensation, a household name and a frequent focus of paparazzi and tabloids. However, Lohan's next starring role in the romantic comedy Just My Luck, received poor reviews and was only a modest commercial success. Following Just My Luck, Lohan focused on smaller, more mature roles in independent movies, receiving positive comments on her work, including A Prairie Home Companion, Bobby and Chapter 27.
Other spellings of this name: Lindsey, Linsay, Linsey. Lindsey and Lindsay are the best ways to spell the wonderful name. Without the D it would be weird. No offense to anybody without the D if their name is Lindsay, Lindsey, Linsay, or Linsey.
I really liked this name but was thrown off by the Lindsay Lohan connection, so I used it as a middle name for my youngest daughter, Edith Lindsay .
― Anonymous User 12/31/2015
2
Updating from what I've said in the first paragraph of my earlier comment, from what I've found in the passenger lists, birth and marriage indexes, the results (which is also available on my blog in a bit more detail) show that Lindsay began to be turned into a feminine-majority name after the WWII and by 1950, by a sum of 50 persons, 74% of Lindsays born that year are women.With Lindsey, though it wasn't as common as Lindsay until the 60s, it already became a feminine-majority name by 1945.
In Britain (well, more specifically, England & Wales), by the 1950s or 1960s, Lindsay (along with Lindsey) began to be used much more frequently on girls than on boys. That is not to say that Lindsay/ey began to be used as an all-girl name.In 1966, excluding those without a middle name or only an initial in their (1st) middle name in birth records (provided by ancestry. Co. uk), around 289 females and 36 males were given the name Lindsay. When compared with Lindsey, Lindsie, Linsay, Linsey, Linzi, Lyndsay, Lyndsey and Lynsey (variant of Lindsay), a combined total would be 710 females and 53 males.The name and its variants continued to increase in popularity in the 1970's with a combined total of 1,310 females and 40 males in 1973. In that same year, 294 females and 25 males were given the name Lindsay. At that time, variants like Lyndsay, Lyndsey and Lynsey increased in popularity thanks in part to Lynsey De Paul, the English singer-songwriter who became famous in 1972 for her songs (i.e. "Sugar Me"). When the number of people born with Lyndsay, Lyndsey and Lynsey are combined, the total would be 375 females and 6 males in 1973 compared to 70 females and 4 males in 1966.The peak of the popularity occurred in the first half of the 1980s. In 1980, 651 females and 21 males were given the name Lindsay with a combined total of 2, 522 females and 43 males. By then, its popularity began to decrease and by 1996, 52 females and around 2 males were given the name Lindsay with a combined total 255 females and around 5 males (which, for the combined total, is just under a tenth of what it was in 1980).In 2013, only 3 girls were given the name Lindsay and so, the name is now very rarely given to girls and boys.
One bearer of this name who was born before the 1970's (apart from Lindsay Wagner) was English musician and political activist Lindsay Cooper (1951-2013).
I'm a girl and this is my middle name. Though I'd rather have it as my first, which is Aidan, but I like both of them. I also think it's okay for a guy's name, it just sounds more feminine to me because it's mine :)
I knew a guy called Lindsay and he wore it well, never was bullied (he WAS the bully) and never shortened it or had a nickname. Most people with this name are girls, my sister even has Lyndsay as her middle name - checks my parents trying to be cool and spell it with 2 Y's! - but then most Lindsay's I know never go by it, but rather Lindz or Lynn. Nowadays no name is specifically male/female.
― Anonymous User 7/2/2012
2
Lindsay is my first name. I have spent my entire life spelling out my name to be sure that people have it correct on paperwork or whatever. Quite tiring.The name was tacked on to my middle name Dayle because it sounded good together. There really wasn't any important meaning for me being given this name. I went to a very small school and shared the name with a large portion of other girls named Lindsay (all spelled differently except for the one girl that actually looked like me; creepy), and so for a long time I distanced myself from the name. A teacher would call roll and get to "Lindsay" and I would double check that they were meaning me (even into college, I'm finding I have classes with other Lindsay's). I've come to feel that this name does not suit me and that I want to give myself a more unique name. Like Sunny. :)I do agree it is a very pretty name, very feminine, and fits in with the Ashley, Haley, etc. Type of names. I also think it is an interesting choice for a boy. I don't think it would be too bad as a male name. It sort of feels a bit vintage that way.
In my opinion Lindsay will always be a masculine name, but then of course it got taken over by girls just like all other male names (Ashley, Cameron, Taylor, Hayden...) Why give your daughter a masculine name when there are thousands of girly names you can call them?
― Anonymous User 1/9/2012
-2
Lindsay Ellingson is a gorgeous American model.
― Anonymous User 12/12/2011
1
I think this spelling looks more mature than Lindsey.
Lindsay K. Northen is an American stage actress. She is best known for her roles as Maria in the 2004 national touring company of "The Sound of Music" and for covering the role of Glinda in the Broadway company of "Wicked".
Lindsay's okay, but in my opinion it's kind of one of those modern generic names. Lindsay, Courtney, Ashley... It IS pretty, but I guess it just rubs me the wrong way.
This is much better in its original form as a male name, nothing about it seems feminine really.I loled because all the "Common" girl names you listed are actually male names.
It's a nice enough name. Not the best, though. I do have a bit of a hard time imagining a grown woman by the name of Lindsay. If I were to ever use it on a kid, I'd name her Linda and nickname her Lindsay.
This is by far my favourite spelling of this name, and it's the only one that looks "right" to me. Lindsey is also okay, but there are some truly AWFUL and cringe-worthy "kre8tiv" spellings of Lindsay out there. I'm actually surprised to see how much this name has slid down the popularity charts in recent years. Although it's often grouped in with other 80s surnames turned girls' names like Britney, Whitney, Courtney, et al., this name has a far more feminine--and also a more classic--feel to it, in my opinion.
― Anonymous User 2/20/2010
1
I love the way Lindsay sounds, but I much prefer the spelling Lynsea (one I made up and added to this site).
Yeah... my four-year-old comment about preferring the spelling Lynsea is pretty crazy. Let's just say my tastes have "matured" since then, and I vastly prefer Lindsay, which doesn't look like the person's parents named them using random Scrabble tiles. Still love the sound of the name, though, and definitely prefer it as a feminine name.
I love how this name looks, but I will always think of Lindsay Lohan when I hear it (that poor girl).
― Anonymous User 12/14/2009
1
I prefer the Lindsey spelling in English and Linzi in Croatian. Lindsay looks like it should be pronounced LINN-say or LIND-say, not LIND-see or LINN-zee. I pronounce Lindsey LINN-zee, LINN-see, LIND-zee or LIND-see.
I like the spelling of Lindsay better than Lindsey. Also, it's the name of one of my best friends.
― Anonymous User 7/21/2008
1
It also can be spelled "Linze". Very exotic spelling of a common name.
― Anonymous User 7/2/2008
1
This name sounds strictly feminine to me. This is my favorite spelling of the name, and I think it's a nice enough name, as it doesn't sound too cutesy or girly. It suits little girls and women just fine. It's nothing great, but decent. Some people may think Lindsay Lohan has ruined it, but I'm not sure why people make such a big deal out of her lifestyle. I don't know her, and she may even be mean, but if the problem is the partying and sex, I can only wonder what else people expect a young, attractive, rich woman to do with her life.
This is my name. I spell it Lindsay, but I think it is shorter and easier to spell it Linzy, so on all my informal papers I write it that way. I do agree that people mispronounce and misspell it all the time like at school most of the teachers spell it Lindsey and I get very OCD about it and have to tell them the right way to spell it! But over all I really like my name and it goes really well with my middle name (Lindsay Nicole).
This is my name but it's spelt Lynsey because my parents prefered it that way. I sometimes spell it as Lindsay because I think it looks much prettier. This spelling is also the proper Scottish spelling which I also love, my great-grandmother was Scottish and her surname was Lindsay (which is who I am named after).
Another one that puzzled me when it started becoming popular because I just don't see the appeal of it. I do think it sounds more feminine than masculine, though. I know a Lindsay whose mother wanted to name her Alexis but her father didn't like that so they settled on Lindsay. If I were her I'd be pretty upset with my father.
My name is spelled Lyndsey. I love my name but I can't stand it when people spell it wrong. (Lindsey, Lindsay, Lyndsay, Lynzey, Lynzay, Linzey, Linzay, Lyndzey, Lyndzay, Lindzey, Lindzay.)
Means linden tree by the water. Also spelled, Lindsei, Lindsai, Lyndsai, Lyndsei, Lynsei, Lynsai, Linsai, Linsei, Linzei, Linzai, Lynzei, and Lynzai.
― Anonymous User 7/3/2007
1
Ben Lindsey, jurist Geoff Lindsey, writer George Lindsey, American actor Hal Lindsey, evangelist Jim Lindsey, University of Arkansas trustee Lawrence B. Lindsey, economist Melvin Lindsey, broadcaster Johanna Lindsey, novelist Steven W. Lindsey, astronaut Theophilus Lindsey, theologian Lindsey Buckingham, guitarist Lindsey Cardinale, singer Lindsey Davis, novelist Lindsey Francis, roller skater Lindsey German, politician Lindsey Graham, politician Lindsey Hilsum, news reporter Spessard Lindsey Holland, politician Lindsey Hugh Holliman, politician Lindsey Hughes, historian Lindsey Hunter, basketball player Lindsay Lohan, American actress Lindsey Nelson, broadcaster Jay Lindsey Tibbs, baseball player Lindsey Vuolo, photographer's model Lindsay Wagner, American actress Lindsey Shaw, American actress Lindsey McDonald, a character on Angel Lindsay Monroe, a character on CSI: NY Lindsey Naegle, a minor character on The Simpsons Dr. Lindsey Novak, a character on Stargate SG-1
I think this is definitely a girl's name, and any boy named this would be teased non-stop. I don't like it spelled Lindsay, because that's not how the name is usually pronounced. I like the Lindsey spelling better. Also, this is probably, I think, the most misspelled name ever. But anyways, this name is really nice and pretty.
― Anonymous User 6/15/2007
2
The main character of the Womans Murder Club, a book series by James Patterson, is Lindsay Boxer. She is tough, yet sweet, quiet, yet ambitious. She is the lieutenant of San Franciso.
My name is Lindsay Buckingham. I am a girl and my parents didn't realize that they had named my after a famous MALE Lindsay Buckingham. I still think the name is prettier on me.
I love this name, but I prefer spelling it Linzee. Much more unique and easier to spell. This is one of my favorite names, so going to be my daughter's name.
Excuse me, but most of these 'Unisex' names, started off as guys names in the first place, or even last names. Take Ashley for instance, say someone was called John Ashley, then John Ashley's daughter had a son, and wanted to honour her father, so the kid would be called Ashley, then it evolved into a proper name. Then, someone went 'Lets be totally rebelious and name our little girl Ashley', then it just caught on. So Lindsay, was a surname, then a guys name, then FINALLY a girls name, so I do not think there is any reason to be ashamed of if you are a boy and are called Lindsey, really, the girls should be a little worried, imagine calling your little girl John!
― Anonymous User 12/25/2006
0
Lindsay C. and Lindsay S. are Deal or No Deal models on NBC.
Lindsay is a pretty name for a girl, I do prefer the spelling Lindsey though.
― Anonymous User 10/29/2006
2
I HATE this spelling of Lindsay. LindsEy is WAY, WAY, WAY more prettier. I think of Lindsay as (lind-ZAY). I LOVE the name Lindsey, but HATE the name Lindsay. (I know they are pronounced the same!)
I'm a guy, my legal name isn't Lindsay, but I like to go by it. Maybe someday I'll get around to officially changing my name to Lindsay. It's a perfectly acceptable boy's name.
I don't feel that it's NOT masculine, but it's become a girls name by majority. I'm not a particular fan of Lindsay Lohan, only her younger works, but lately she's become not so cool. (I didn't know how to word that.) Thus to some people it has tainted the name.
My name is LYNSEY (female) and I think it is such a shame it is unisex name. Nothing about it sounds masculine. The only trouble is people constantly get the spelling wrong!
― Anonymous User 4/26/2006
1
This is my name and I hate it (though I wouldn't mind it for other people)! Everyone's always asking me how to spell it, and most of the spellings they give me are quite ludicrous. "Is it spelled "L-Y-N-Z-Y or L-I-N-S-Y?" I just tell them that it's spelled like this: "Lind-SAY". I wish my name were something simple, like Rachel or Anne. UGH! (btw, my parents named me after Lindsay Wagner)
Famous bearer is Lindsay Wagner, an American actress.
― Anonymous User 3/26/2006
1
I would not feel sorry for a little boy with this name; in fact, I think it's great as a masculine name. Lindsay Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac is one famous male bearer of the name.
My sister's name is Lindsay after my grandmother Linda (although the two names are unrelated). She likes it and I don't hate it. I met a little boy named Lindsay once! Poor thing.