The title Earl of Lindsay was created in 1633 in the Peerage of Scotland for John Lindsay, who later inherited the ancient Earldom of Crawford. The two Earldoms remained united until the death of the twenty-second Earl of Crawford, also sixth Earl of Lindsay, when the earldom of Lindsay passed to David Lindsay, while the earldom of Crawford became dormant because no-one could prove a claim to the title. (That title was revived when a claim was proven in 1848.) Both David, 7th Earl of Lindsay and his successor Patrick, 8th Earl of Lindsay died without sons, and the disputed claim over the Earldom was resolved by the House of Lords in 1878 in favour of Sir John Trotter Lindsay, Baronet.

The subsidiary titles of the Earl are: Viscount Garnock (created 1703), Lord Lindsay of The Byres (1445), Lord Parbroath (1633) and Lord Kilbirnie, Kingsburn and Drumry (1703), all in the Peerage of Scotland. The title Viscount Garnock is used as the courtesy title for the eldest son and heir to the Earl.

Lords Lindsay (1445)

• John Lindsay, 1st Lord Lindsay (d. 1482)
• David Lindsay, 2nd Lord Lindsay (d. 1490)
• John Lindsay, 3rd Lord Lindsay (d. 1497)
• Patrick Lindsay, 4th Lord Lindsay (d. 1526)
• John Lindsay, 5th Lord Lindsay (d. 1563)
• Patrick Lindsay, 6th Lord Lindsay (1521-1589)
• James Lindsay, 7th Lord Lindsay (1554-1601)
• John Lindsay, 8th Lord Lindsay (d. 1609)
• Robert Lindsay, 9th Lord Lindsay (d. 1616)
• John Lindsay, 10th Lord Lindsay (c. 1598-1678) (became Earl of Lindsay in 1633)

Earls of Lindsay (1633)

• John Lindsay, 17th Earl of Crawford, 1st Earl of Lindsay (c. 1598-1678)
• William Lindsay, 18th Earl of Crawford, 2nd Earl of Lindsay (1644-1698)
• John Lindsay, 19th Earl of Crawford, 3rd Earl of Lindsay (d. 1713)
• John Lindsay, 20th Earl of Crawford, 4th Earl of Lindsay (1702-1749)
• George Lindsay, 21st Earl of Crawford, 5th Earl of Lindsay (1723-1781)
• George Lindsay, 22nd Earl of Crawford, 6th Earl of Lindsay (1758-1808)
• David Lindsay, 7th Earl of Lindsay (d. 1809)
• Patrick Lindsay, 8th Earl of Lindsay (1778-1839)
• Henry Lindsay, 9th Earl of Lindsay (1787-1851)
• John Trotter Lindsay, 10th Earl of Lindsay (1827-1894)
• David Clarke Lindsay, 11th Earl of Lindsay (1832-1917)
• Reginald Bethund Lindsay, 12th Earl of Lindsay (1867-1939)
• Archibald Lionel Lindsay, 13th Earl of Lindsay (1872-1943)
• William Tucker Lindsay, 14th Earl of Lindsay (1901-1985)
• David Lindsay, 15th Earl of Lindsay (1926-1989)
• James Randolph Lindsay, 16th Earl of Lindsay (b. 1955)

Heir Apparent: his son William James Lindsay-Bethune, Viscount Garnock (b. 1990)