Gracelyn

Meaning of Gracelyn

Gracelyn is a compound feminine forename that fuses the Latin-derived virtue Grace—denoting divine favor and moral refinement—with the productive English suffix –lyn, a phonological element that gained currency in the United States during the closing decades of the twentieth century; the result is an appellation that marries theological heritage to contemporary stylistic sensibilities. Though registrations appeared only sporadically before World War II, the name entered a sustained trajectory of growth from the 1970s onward, rising to its present high-water mark of 297th in the national charts in 2020 and retaining a position within the Top 500 in recent years. By preserving the semantic core of Grace while expanding it into a gently cadenced trisyllable, Gracelyn appeals to Anglo-American parents who seek an equilibrium between time-honored virtue and modern euphony, situating the name at the nexus of devotional, literary, and fashion-forward naming currents.