Find out how popular the last name Flaggs is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Flaggs.

Flaggs, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Flaggs surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Flaggs in America

Flaggs is the 110286th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Flaggs surname appeared 160 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Flaggs.

We can also compare 2010 data for Flaggs to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Flaggs

The surname Flaggs has its origins in England, tracing back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "flagge," which referred to a type of rush or reed plant commonly found in marshes and wetlands. This suggests that the name may have initially belonged to someone who lived near or worked with these plants.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1199, where a certain Robert Flagge is mentioned. Another early reference appears in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire from 1279, which lists a John de la Flagge.

The Flaggs name continued to evolve and spread throughout England in the following centuries. In the 14th century, records show variations such as Flagg, Flage, and Flegge. During this time, the name also started to appear in other parts of the country, such as in the Court Rolls of Essex from 1347, which mentions a Thomas Flegge.

As the name became more widespread, it began to be associated with various place names. One notable example is the village of Flagg in Derbyshire, which likely took its name from the nearby marshlands. This village was home to several Flagg families, including John Flagg, who was born around 1570.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Flaggs name gained more prominence, with several notable individuals bearing the surname. One such person was William Flagg, a clergyman and author who lived from 1598 to 1669. Another was Thomas Flagg, a merchant and shipowner from London, who was active in the early 17th century.

The Flaggs name also found its way to the American colonies, with several individuals bearing the surname arriving in the 17th and 18th centuries. One of the earliest recorded Flaggs in America was Gershom Flagg, who was born in Watertown, Massachusetts in 1637.

Another notable figure was Ebenezer Flagg, a soldier and farmer who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He was born in Grafton, Massachusetts in 1737 and lived until 1813.

In the 19th century, the Flaggs name continued to appear in various records and documents. One prominent individual was Wilson Flagg, an American naturalist and writer who was born in Beverly, Massachusetts in 1805 and died in 1884.

Overall, the surname Flaggs has a rich history that spans over eight centuries, with its origins rooted in the English countryside. Despite its humble beginnings, the name has been carried by individuals from diverse walks of life, including clergymen, merchants, soldiers, and naturalists.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Flaggs

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Flaggs.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Flaggs was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Flaggs has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Flaggs was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Flaggs, please contact us.

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