Lindsay

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.

Means linden tree by the water. Also spelled, Lindsei, Lindsai, Lyndsai, Lyndsei, Lynsei, Lynsai, Linsai, Linsei, Linzei, Linzai, Lynzei, and Lynzai.

The meaning of the name is: Linden Trees by the Water. It comes from the bible.