2000
#3,936
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,291
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.07
Rare Last name
Flanders
One who came from the Flanders region, which is now parts of Belgium, France, and the Netherlands.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,228 Americans carry the last name Flanders. That puts it at #4,262 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,143 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Flanders surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Flanders with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.2K
1 in 37,143
Census rank
#4,262
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,047 bearers of the surname Flanders in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4262nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Flanders, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Flanders
The surname Flanders originated in the region of Flanders, which spans parts of modern-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. The name first emerged in the Middle Ages, derived from the Old French term "Flandres," which referred to the inhabitants of this area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Flanders can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Ralph de Flandres, indicating the presence of individuals with this surname in England during the Norman period.
The name Flanders is closely associated with the County of Flanders, a historically significant region that played a pivotal role in the development of medieval Europe. This region, located in the Low Countries, was known for its prosperous cities, thriving textile industry, and influential mercantile activities.
Notable historical figures bearing the surname Flanders include Jan Flanders (c. 1285-1351), a Flemish statesman and diplomat who served as the ambassador of the County of Flanders to England during the reign of Edward III. Another prominent individual was Pieter Flanders (c. 1500-1567), a Flemish Renaissance painter renowned for his religious works and portraits.
In the literary realm, the surname Flanders is associated with the 16th-century poet and playwright, Everard Flanders (c. 1530-1590), whose works were influential in the development of Dutch literature. Additionally, the 17th-century Dutch Golden Age painter, Michiel Flanders (1620-1675), gained recognition for his genre scenes depicting everyday life in the Netherlands.
The surname Flanders also has connections to place names and older spellings. For instance, the town of Flanders, located in Suffolk County, New York, was established in the 17th century and likely derived its name from the region in Europe. Furthermore, variations in spelling, such as Flandres or Flaundres, were common in historical records.
Throughout history, the surname Flanders has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including artists, writers, politicians, and tradespeople, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and influence of the Flemish people across various spheres of society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Flanders
Among Census respondents with the surname Flanders, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Flanders bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Flanders surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.4% · 6,630
- Black or African American8.9% · 720
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 314
- Two or more races3.6% · 289
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 41
Timeline
Historical Census data for Flanders
Flanders appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#4,043
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,787
+496 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 2.98
Rank movement Down 107 places
2020
#4,262
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,047
-740 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 2.69
Rank movement Down 219 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,936 | 8,291 | 3.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,043 | 8,787 | 2.98 | +496 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 107 places |
| 2020 | #4,262 | 8,047 | 2.69 | -740 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 219 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Flanders surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,043 | #4,262 | -5.4% |
| Count | 8,787 | 8,047 | -8.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.98 | 2.69 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Flanders bearers went from 8,787 to 8,047 (-8.4% change). The surname moved down 219 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,043 to #4,262.
FAQ
Flanders surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Flanders?
Name Census estimates that about 9,228 living Americans carry the surname Flanders. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,143 residents.
How common is Flanders?
Flanders ranks #4,262 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,047 people with the surname Flanders. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,228), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Flanders.
Has Flanders become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Flanders went from 8,787 recorded bearers to 8,047. That is a decrease of 740 (-8.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,043 to #4,262.
What does the Census say about the background of Flanders?
Among Census respondents with the surname Flanders, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Hispanic (3.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Flanders in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.4% (6,630 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Flanders appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.4%), Black (8.9%), Hispanic (3.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Flanders (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Flanders mean?
One who came from the Flanders region, which is now parts of Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Flanders (2.69 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Flanders?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Flanders, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.