The title of Earl of Lincoln was created in the Peerage of England in 1572 for Edward Clinton, Lord Clinton, who served as Lord High Admiral under Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. The title was from the 18th century until the 1980s held by the Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyme. Upon the death without direct heirs of the 10th duke, that title became extinct, and the Earldom passed to a distant relation.

There were several earlier creations of the title in the Middle Ages.

Earls of Lincoln, First Creation (1139)

• William d'Aubigny (d. 1176) Earl of Lincoln 1139-1141, apparently exchanged for earldom of Arundel

Earls of Lincoln, Second Creation (1141)

• William de Roumare, 1st Earl of Lincoln (1096-1161)
• William de Roumare, 2nd Earl of Lincoln (1145-1198)

Earls of Lincoln, Third Creation (1149

• Gilbert de Gant, Earl of Lincoln (1120-1156)

Earls of Lincoln, Fourth Creation (1217)

• Ranulph de Blundeville, 6th Earl of Chester, 1st Earl of Lincoln (1172-1232)
• Hawise de Quincy, 2nd Countess of Lincoln (d.1243)
• Margaret, 3rd Countess of Lincoln (d.1266 (m. John de Lacy, 1st Earl of Lincoln (1192-1240))
• Edmund de Lacy, 2nd Earl of Lincoln (1230-1258)
• Henry de Lacy, 3rd Earl of Lincoln (1251-1311)
• Alice de Lacy, Countess of Lincoln (1281-1348) (m. Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, Earl of Lincoln (d. 1322))

Earls of Lincoln, Fifth Creation (1349)

• Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster, 1st Earl of Lincoln (1300-1361)
• John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, 2nd Earl of Lincoln (1340-1399)
• Henry Bolingbroke, 2nd Duke of Lancaster, 3rd Earl of Lincoln (1367-1413 (became King 1399)

Earls of Lincoln, Sixth Creation (1467)

• John de la Pole, 1st Earl of Lincoln (1462-1487)

Earls of Lincoln, Seventh Creation (1525)

• Henry Brandon, 1st Earl of Lincoln (1516-1534)

Earls of Lincoln, Eighth Creation (1572)

• Edward Clinton, 1st Earl of Lincoln (1512-1585)
• Henry Clinton, 2nd Earl of Lincoln (1539-1616)
• Thomas Clinton, 3rd Earl of Lincoln (1568-1619)
• Theophilus Clinton, 4th Earl of Lincoln (1600-1667)
• Edward Clinton, 5th Earl of Lincoln (d.1692)
• Francis Clinton, 6th Earl of Lincoln (1635-1693)
• Henry Clinton, 7th Earl of Lincoln (1684-1728)
• George Clinton, 8th Earl of Lincoln (1718-1730)
• Henry Pelham-Clinton, 2nd Duke of Newcastle, 9th Earl of Lincoln (1720-1794)
• Thomas Pelham-Clinton, 3rd Duke of Newcastle, 10th Earl of Lincoln (1752-1795)
• Henry Pelham-Clinton, 4th Duke of Newcastle, 11th Earl of Lincoln (1785-1851)
• Henry Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle, 12th Earl of Lincoln (1811-1864)
• Henry Pelham-Clinton, 6th Duke of Newcastle, 13th Earl of Lincoln (1834-1879)
• Henry Pelham-Clinton, 7th Duke of Newcastle, 14th Earl of Lincoln (1864-1928)
• Francis Pelham-Clinton-Hope, 8th Duke of Newcastle, 15th Earl of Lincoln (1866-1941)
• Henry Pelham-Clinton-Hope, 9th Duke of Newcastle, 16th Earl of Lincoln (1907-1988)
• Edward Pelham-Clinton, 10th Duke of Newcastle, 17th Earl of Lincoln (1920-1988)
• Edward Fiennes-Clinton, 18th Earl of Lincoln (1913-2001)
• Robert Fiennes-Clinton, 19th Earl of Lincoln (b. 1972)