Our answer
China’s 18th most common surname 林
Means ‘forest’; spelled Lim in Hokkien and Teochew, and Lam in Cantonese
The short answer
Lin (林, Lín) is a Chinese surname meaning ‘forest’, ranked 18th in China in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 list. Tradition traces it to the son of Bi Gan, born in a forest. It is spelled Lim in Hokkien and Teochew, common in Singapore and Malaysia, and Lam in Cantonese.
| In Chinese | 林 (the same in simplified and traditional characters) |
|---|---|
| Pinyin | Lín (second, rising tone) |
| Rank in China (2019) | 18th, Ministry of Public Security list; 2nd in Taiwan (2016) |
| Other spellings | Lim (Hokkien, Teochew), Lam / Lum (Cantonese), Ling (Eastern Min, Wu), Lâm (Vietnamese), Im / Rim (Korean), Hayashi (Japanese) |
| Meaning of the character | Forest, woods |
| Most numerous in | Guangdong and Fujian provinces (see below) |
| Population | About 15.1 million, 1.13% of mainland China (2013 Fuxi Institution figures) |
Origins of the Lin surname
The character 林 is two trees, 木, side by side, and means forest or woods. The surname’s best-known origin story is a legend from the end of the Shang dynasty, around 3,000 years ago.
Tradition holds that Bi Gan (比干), an uncle of the last Shang king, kept warning the king about his misrule and was put to death for it. His pregnant wife fled into the forest and gave birth to a son in a cave at a place called Changlin (长林), ‘the long forest’. When King Wu of Zhou overthrew the Shang, he honoured the boy, named him Lin Jian (林坚) after the forest of his birth, and so began the Lin surname.
Other traditions trace the name to Lin Kai, a son of King Ping of Zhou, whose descendants took his courtesy name as their surname. During the Northern Wei, part of the Xianbei clan Qiulin (丘林) shortened its name to Lin, and some peoples of southern China also adopted it.[2][3][4]
How Lin is spelled around the world
Lin travelled widely with emigrants from Fujian and Guangdong, so it has more spellings than most surnames. The character is always 林.[1][2]
| Spelling | Where | Language / system |
|---|---|---|
| Lin | Mainland China, Taiwan | Mandarin, pinyin and Wade–Giles |
| Lim | Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia; Hokkien families in Taiwan | Hokkien and Teochew (Min Nan) |
| Lam, Lum | Hong Kong, Macau, Cantonese families abroad | Cantonese |
| Ling | Fuzhou and other Eastern Min areas; Wu-speaking areas | Eastern and Northern Min, Wu |
| Liem; Halim, Salim, Limantoro | Indonesia | Older Indonesian spelling, and Indonesian-style names built on Lim |
| Lâm | Vietnam | Vietnamese |
| Im / Rim (임 / 림) | South Korea / North Korea | Korean |
| Hayashi | Japan | Japanese reading of the same character |
In Japan, 林 read as Hayashi is a common surname in its own right, the 19th most common in the country.
Where the Lin surname is most common
Lin was the 18th most common surname in mainland China in the Ministry of Public Security’s 2019 ranking. The Fuxi Institution’s 2013 figures counted about 15.1 million people named Lin, 1.13% of the population, and put the largest number in Guangdong. A 2021 breakdown cited by the Chinese-language Wikipedia puts Fujian (about 23.7% of all Lins in mainland China) just ahead of Guangdong (about 22.7%), followed by Zhejiang, Guangxi and Sichuan.
Lin is far more prominent in the south-east and abroad than its national rank suggests. It is the 4th most common surname in Haikou and the 10th in Guangzhou. In Taiwan it is the second most common surname after Chen, carried by 8.31% of residents in a 2016 survey, and in the Philippines Lim was the 3rd most common Chinese Filipino surname on a 2020 list.[1][2][3]
Famous people named Lin, Lim or Lam
| Name | Chinese | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Lin Zexu (1785–1850) | 林则徐 | Qing dynasty imperial commissioner who led the 1839 crackdown on the opium trade |
| Lin Yutang | 林语堂 | Writer, linguist and inventor |
| Brigitte Lin | 林青霞 | Film actress |
| Sandy Lam | 林忆莲 | Hong Kong singer and actress |
| Lin Chi-ling | 林志玲 | Supermodel and actress |
| Jeremy Lin | 林书豪 | American basketball player |
| Lim Goh Tong | 林梧桐 | Malaysian businessman, founder of the Genting Group |
Questions readers ask
What does the surname Lin mean?
林 means ‘forest’ or ‘woods’; the character is two trees side by side. Legend says the first Lin, Lin Jian, was given the name because he was born in a forest.
Is Lin a Chinese last name?
Yes. Lin (林) is one of the most common Chinese surnames, 18th in mainland China in 2019 and 2nd in Taiwan. The same character is also used as a Korean surname (Im) and, read as Hayashi, a Japanese one.
How common is the Lin surname?
The Fuxi Institution counted about 15.1 million people named Lin in mainland China in 2013, 1.13% of the population. It is most common in Fujian and Guangdong, and it is the second most common surname in Taiwan.
How do you pronounce Lin?
Like the English ‘lin’ in ‘linen’, said with a rising tone (Lín).
Is Lim the same as Lin?
Yes. Lim is the Hokkien and Teochew pronunciation of 林, the spelling most used in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Is Lam the same as Lin?
Usually, yes. Lam (and sometimes Lum) is the Cantonese spelling of 林 used in Hong Kong and Macau, as with the singer Sandy Lam (林忆莲). Vietnamese Lâm comes from the same character.
Is Lin a Chinese or Japanese name?
Lin is the Chinese reading of 林. In Japan the same character is a common surname too, but it is read Hayashi.
Sources
- Wikipedia, List of common Chinese surnames (2019 Ministry of Public Security ranking; 2013 Fuxi Institution figures; Taiwan 2016 survey; Chinese Filipino surnames 2020; romanisations) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Lin (surname) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia (Chinese), 林姓 · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Behind the Name, Lin (surname) · accessed 1 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Lin Zexu · accessed 1 Nov 2026
Update log. 1 November 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 1 February 2027. Suggest a correction