By having accurate knowledge of the magnetic field distribution and the thrust calculation in linear synchronous motors, assessing the performance and optimization of the motor design are possible. In this paper, after carrying out a performance analysis of a single-sided wound secondary linear synchronous motor by varying the motor design parameters in a layer model and a d-q model, machine single- and multi-objective design optimizations are carried out to improve the thrust density of the motor based on the motor weight and the motor efficiency multiplied by its power factor by defining various objective functions including a flexible objective function. A genetic algorithm is employed to search for the optimal design. The results confirm that an overall improvement in the thrust mean, efficiency multiplied by the power factor, and thrust to the motor weight ratio are obtained. Several design conclusions are drawn from the motor analysis and the design optimization. Finally, a finite element analysis is employed to evaluate the effectiveness of the employed machine models and the proposed optimization method.