2000
#16,754
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,570
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.58
Rare Last name
Flanery
A variant spelling of the Irish surname Flannery, derived from the Gaelic personal name Flannabhra meaning "red eyebrow."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,804 Americans carry the last name Flanery. That puts it at #17,556 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.53 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 189,997 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Flanery 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 Flanery with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.8K
1 in 189,997
Census rank
#17,556
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,573 bearers of the surname Flanery in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.53 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17556th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Flanery, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Flanery
The surname Flanery originated in Ireland, with roots dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to be an anglicized version of the Gaelic name "O'Flannagáin," which translates to "descendant of Flannagán." Flannagán itself is derived from the Irish word "flann," meaning "red" or "ruddy complexion."
The earliest recorded instances of the Flanery name can be found in ancient Irish manuscripts and records from the medieval period. One notable reference appears in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a Flannagán mac Muiredaig in the year 1021.
As the name spread across Ireland, it underwent various spellings and adaptations, including Flannery, Flanary, and Flannagan. These variations were often influenced by regional accents and dialects, as well as the preferences of individual families or scribes.
One of the earliest known individuals with the Flanery surname was Gilla na Naemh Ó Flannagáin, a prominent Irish poet and scholar who lived in the 14th century. His works, which included religious poetry and historical accounts, were highly regarded in his time.
In the 16th century, the Flanery name gained prominence in County Westmeath, where a family of that name held significant landholdings and influence. One notable member was Tadhg Óg Ó Flannagáin, a chieftain and military leader who fought against English forces during the Tudor conquest of Ireland.
During the 17th century, the Flanery name was recorded in various parts of Ireland, including County Galway, where a family of that name held lands near the town of Gort. John Flannery, born in 1635, was a prominent landowner and businessman in the area.
In the 18th century, the Flanery surname crossed the Atlantic to the American colonies. Patrick Flanery, born in 1712 in County Galway, immigrated to Virginia in the 1740s and became a successful farmer and landowner.
Throughout history, the Flanery name has been associated with numerous notable individuals, including Michael J. Flanery (1851-1923), a prominent American businessman and philanthropist; Reverend John Flanery (1805-1885), an Irish Catholic priest and educator; and Mary Flanery (1867-1936), an American author and poet known for her works exploring rural life in the Appalachian region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Flanery
Among Census respondents with the surname Flanery, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Flanery 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 Flanery surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 1,452
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 51
- Two or more races3.2% · 50
- Black or African American0.6% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Flanery
Flanery 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
#17,367
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,626
+56 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.55
Rank movement Down 613 places
2020
#17,556
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,573
-53 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.53
Rank movement Down 189 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,754 | 1,570 | 0.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,367 | 1,626 | 0.55 | +56 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 613 places |
| 2020 | #17,556 | 1,573 | 0.53 | -53 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 189 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 Flanery 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 | #17,367 | #17,556 | -1.1% |
| Count | 1,626 | 1,573 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.55 | 0.53 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Flanery bearers went from 1,626 to 1,573 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 189 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,367 to #17,556.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Flanery
FAQ
Flanery surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Flanery?
Name Census estimates that about 1,804 living Americans carry the surname Flanery. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 189,997 residents.
How common is Flanery?
Flanery ranks #17,556 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.53 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,573 people with the surname Flanery. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,804), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.53 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.53 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Flanery.
Has Flanery become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Flanery went from 1,626 recorded bearers to 1,573. That is a decrease of 53 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #17,367 to #17,556.
What does the Census say about the background of Flanery?
Among Census respondents with the surname Flanery, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Flanery in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (1,452 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Flanery appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Flanery (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 Flanery mean?
A variant spelling of the Irish surname Flannery, derived from the Gaelic personal name Flannabhra meaning "red eyebrow." 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 Flanery (0.53 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 many people are called Flanery?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Flanery on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.