2000
#14,084
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,961
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.73
Rare Last name
Flavin
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Flaithin," meaning "descendant of Flaithin," a personal name meaning "little prince."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,215 Americans carry the last name Flavin. That puts it at #14,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 154,742 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Flavin 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 Flavin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 154,742
Census rank
#14,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,932 bearers of the surname Flavin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Flavin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Flavin
The surname Flavin has its origins in Ireland, tracing back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "flann," meaning "red" or "reddish." This suggests that the name was initially bestowed upon an individual with reddish hair or a ruddy complexion.
The Flavin name is predominantly found in County Galway, where it is believed to have originated. Records from the 13th century mention the Flavin family as landowners in the baronies of Longford and Leitrim.
One of the earliest documented references to the Flavin surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. In these annals, the name appears as "O'Flannagain," an early variant spelling.
During the 16th century, the Flavin family played a notable role in the Gaelic resistance against English rule in Connacht. Edmond Flavin (c. 1550-1618) was a prominent member of the clan and served as a captain in the Irish Confederate Wars.
Another notable figure was Father John Flavin (1628-1698), a Catholic priest and historian who wrote a detailed account of the Irish Rebellion of 1641. His work, titled "The Memoirs of the Life and Actions of Michael O'Flaverty," provides valuable insights into the events of that era.
In the 18th century, the name Flavin was associated with the town of Ballinasloe in County Galway. The Flavin family owned lands in the area, and a townland was named "Flavinstown" after them.
One of the most famous individuals with the Flavin surname was Martin Flavin (1845-1922), an Irish author and journalist. He was born in County Mayo and wrote extensively on Irish history and culture, including a book titled "The Annals of Connacht."
Another notable figure was John Flavin (1892-1975), an Irish politician and member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). He participated in the Irish War of Independence and later served as a member of the Irish Parliament (Dáil Éireann).
While the Flavin name has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Irish immigration. Individuals with the Flavin surname can now be found in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Flavin
Among Census respondents with the surname Flavin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Flavin 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 Flavin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 1,797
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 65
- Two or more races2.4% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 15
- Black or African American0.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Flavin
Flavin 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
#14,468
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,064
+103 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 384 places
2020
#14,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,932
-132 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 289 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,084 | 1,961 | 0.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,468 | 2,064 | 0.70 | +103 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 384 places |
| 2020 | #14,757 | 1,932 | 0.65 | -132 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 289 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 Flavin 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 | #14,468 | #14,757 | -2.0% |
| Count | 2,064 | 1,932 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.65 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Flavin bearers went from 2,064 to 1,932 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 289 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,468 to #14,757.
FAQ
Flavin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Flavin?
Name Census estimates that about 2,215 living Americans carry the surname Flavin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 154,742 residents.
How common is Flavin?
Flavin ranks #14,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 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 1,932 people with the surname Flavin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,215), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 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 Flavin.
Has Flavin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Flavin went from 2,064 recorded bearers to 1,932. That is a decrease of 132 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,468 to #14,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Flavin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Flavin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Flavin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (1,797 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Flavin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Flavin (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 Flavin mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Flaithin," meaning "descendant of Flaithin," a personal name meaning "little prince." 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 Flavin (0.65 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 share the surname Flavin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.