Variant of Linden, from Old English 'lind' meaning 'linden tree hill', originally a place name.
Lindon is a variant spelling of Lyndon or Linden, both rooted in the Old English word "lind," referring to the linden tree — also called the lime tree in British English. This stately deciduous tree, known for its heart-shaped leaves and intensely fragrant summer blossoms, was deeply significant in Germanic and Slavic cultures, where it was planted in village squares, used as a meeting place for councils and courts, and associated with love, femininity, and protection. The linden tree gave its name to countless European place names, and those place names became surnames, which eventually became given names.
In America, Lyndon leapt to prominence with Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36th President, whose Great Society programs and complicated legacy in the Vietnam War made him one of the most consequential figures of the twentieth century. The alternate spelling Lindon softens the presidential connection slightly while retaining the verdant, natural quality of the root. In Central and Eastern Europe, the linden remains a near-sacred cultural symbol — "pod lipou" (under the linden) is a phrase in several Slavic languages conjuring community, poetry, and folk memory.
Lindon has always been rare enough to feel distinctive. Its gentle sound — two soft syllables with that liquid "l" opening — gives it an approachable warmth that more angular names lack. Parents who choose it today often appreciate its connection to nature, its modest historical depth, and the way it sits comfortably between familiar and genuinely uncommon.