Linnaeus

lin-EE-us; lin-AY-us

Swedish, Norwegian, Danish

"linden tree"

Linnaeus Origin and Meaning

The name Linnaeus is a boy's name meaning "linden tree".

Best associated with the famous 18th century Swedish botanist, Carl Linnaeus, this surname is a Latinized form of the Old Norse Lind meaning "linden or lime tree". The botanist got his name after his father adopted it, inspired by the lime or linden tree that grew on the family homestead, which proved to be a rather apt choice for his son to carry down.

Known as the "father of modern taxonomy", Carl Linnaeus was hugely influential in the fields of botany, zoology, and biology, making this an interesting consideration for anyone interested in those areas.

The feminine name Linnea is linked to this surname, in that the flower it is associated was Carl Linnaeus's favorite and he therefore named it after himself.