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ArchivesSouthern Tradition of “male name + Lynn”
Hi all, I am from the American Deep South and wanted to discuss a peculiar phenomena I’ve seen. I have encountered multiple families across different Southern states who have a tradition of naming young girls after male family members with the addition of the suffix or double name -Lyn, -Lynn, or any other alternate spellings. Examples include Raelyn/Raelynn/Ray Lynn, Drew Lynn, Brycelyn, Roblynn, and Bobby Lynn. This is not just a trend — in most cases, this is a multi-generational family tradition. Have you encountered this, and are there any documented histories of it or papers regarding it?
This message was edited yesterday, 11:00 AM
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Replies
-lyn and -lynn became a common ending of feminine names in the early 20th century. Cf Marilyn, Carolyn, Gwendolyn, and Evelyn (while a unisex name, became very common for women in the 1920s.)
https://www.behindthename.com/element/lyn
Most likely in the cases you're describing the suffix serves two purposes at once: to make the name more feminine for the bearer, and to avoid confusion with the relative they were named after. That would make it an easy and appealling tradition to continue.
https://www.behindthename.com/element/lyn
Most likely in the cases you're describing the suffix serves two purposes at once: to make the name more feminine for the bearer, and to avoid confusion with the relative they were named after. That would make it an easy and appealling tradition to continue.
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