Lincoln is a male given name, and according to US data based on 2024 births, about 1 in 376 people are given the name. Lincoln is also a surname and sometimes masculine given name of Old English origin. The surname originates from the city of Lincoln, England, whose name means "lake/pool colony", combining the Brythonic word lynn with the Latin word colonia. This translates to 'town by the pool' or 'settler by the lake'. It has become a somewhat prominent first name for males in the United States.