2000
#46,944
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 426
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Flenner
An English surname derived from the Old Germanic term "flen" meaning arrow or missile maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 502 Americans carry the last name Flenner. That puts it at #51,363 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 682,778 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Flenner 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.
Bearers in the US
502
1 in 682,778
Census rank
#51,363
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
438
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 438 bearers of the surname Flenner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 51363rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Flenner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Flenner
The surname Flenner is believed to have originated in Germany, likely in the 16th or 17th century. It is thought to be derived from the Middle High German word "flennen," which means "to weep" or "to whine." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname or descriptive name to someone who was known for crying or complaining excessively.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Flenner can be found in the records of the town of Dortmund, located in the Ruhr region of Germany. In 1638, a man named Hans Flenner was listed as a resident of the town, which at the time was a prosperous center for trade and industry. It is possible that this individual or his ancestors may have been among the first to bear the name.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, as records became more comprehensive, the name Flenner began to appear in various parts of Germany, particularly in the regions of Westphalia and the Rhineland. One notable example is Johann Flenner, a merchant who was born in Cologne in 1772 and played a role in the city's thriving textile trade.
Over the centuries, the name Flenner has also been associated with several notable individuals. One such person was Karl Flenner, a German composer and music teacher who lived from 1837 to 1910. His works, though not widely known today, were performed and acclaimed during his lifetime.
Another individual of note was Gertrud Flenner, a German nurse and activist who lived from 1892 to 1972. She was involved in the women's rights movement and worked tirelessly to improve healthcare conditions for women and children in Germany.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name Flenner can be traced back to the late 19th century, when German immigrants began arriving in significant numbers. One such immigrant was Wilhelm Flenner, who was born in 1867 in the town of Mülheim an der Ruhr and later settled in Chicago, where he became a successful businessman.
While the surname Flenner may not be among the most common in the world, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and is deeply rooted in German culture and language. Its origins as a descriptive nickname and its appearances in various historical records and notable individuals provide a glimpse into the lives and experiences of those who have carried this name throughout the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Flenner
Among Census respondents with the surname Flenner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Flenner 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 Flenner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 401
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 15
- Two or more races3.4% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 4
- Black or African American0.5% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Flenner
Flenner 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
#46,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 453
+27 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 42 places
2020
#51,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 438
-15 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 4,461 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #46,944 | 426 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #46,902 | 453 | 0.15 | +27 bearers (+6.3%) | Up 42 places |
| 2020 | #51,363 | 438 | 0.15 | -15 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 4,461 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 Flenner 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 | #46,902 | #51,363 | -9.5% |
| Count | 453 | 438 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.15 | -2.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Flenner bearers went from 453 to 438 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 4,461 positions in the national ranking, going from #46,902 to #51,363.
FAQ
Flenner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Flenner?
Name Census estimates that about 502 living Americans carry the surname Flenner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 682,778 residents.
How common is Flenner?
Flenner ranks #51,363 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 438 people with the surname Flenner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (502), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Flenner.
Has Flenner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Flenner went from 453 recorded bearers to 438. That is a decrease of 15 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #46,902 to #51,363.
What does the Census say about the background of Flenner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Flenner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Flenner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (401 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Flenner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Flenner (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 Flenner mean?
An English surname derived from the Old Germanic term "flen" meaning arrow or missile maker. 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 Flenner (0.15 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 Americans have the surname Flenner?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.