2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Flennoy
A locational surname derived from a place name in Normandy, France.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Flennoy. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Flennoy 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Flennoy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Flennoy, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.5%) and White (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Flennoy
The surname Flennoy is believed to have originated in France, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. The name is thought to derive from the Old French word "flenier," which means "to wilt" or "to droop." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone with a drooping or wilting appearance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. Here, the name appears as "Fleni," likely a variation of the modern spelling.
In the 13th century, records show a Raoul de Flennoy residing in the region of Picardy, northern France. This area is considered a potential place of origin for the surname, as it was common for people to adopt locational names derived from the places they lived or were born.
During the 16th century, the name appears in various historical documents, including the personal accounts of Jean Flennoy, a merchant from the city of Rouen in Normandy. His writings provide valuable insights into the trade and commerce of the time.
One notable figure bearing the surname Flennoy was Pierre Flennoy (1640-1718), a French architect and engineer known for his contributions to the reconstruction efforts in Paris following the devastating fires of 1671.
In the 18th century, the name gained prominence in England with the birth of Sir John Flennoy (1725-1802), a prominent statesman and member of the British Parliament. His political career and influence left a lasting impact on the history of the country.
Another individual of note was the French philosopher and writer, Émile Flennoy (1845-1912), whose works explored the realms of metaphysics and the nature of consciousness.
The surname Flennoy also made its way across the Atlantic, with records indicating the presence of Flennoy families in the American colonies as early as the late 17th century. One such individual was William Flennoy (1680-1768), a landowner and farmer in Virginia who played a role in the development of the region's agricultural industry.
Throughout its history, the surname Flennoy has been associated with various professions, including merchants, architects, politicians, philosophers, and landowners, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Flennoy
Among Census respondents with the surname Flennoy, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.5%) and White (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Flennoy 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 Flennoy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American86.1% · 93
- Two or more races6.5% · 7
- White4.6% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Flennoy
Flennoy 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
#127,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
+13 bearers (+10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 2,125 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-26 bearers (-19.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,441 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #127,494 | 134 | 0.05 | +13 bearers (+10.7%) | Up 2,125 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -26 bearers (-19.4%) | Down 23,441 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 Flennoy 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 | #127,494 | #150,935 | -18.4% |
| Count | 134 | 108 | -19.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -27.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Flennoy bearers went from 134 to 108 (-19.4% change). The surname moved down 23,441 positions in the national ranking, going from #127,494 to #150,935.
FAQ
Flennoy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Flennoy?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Flennoy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Flennoy?
Flennoy ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 108 people with the surname Flennoy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Flennoy.
Has Flennoy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Flennoy went from 134 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 26 (-19.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #127,494 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Flennoy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Flennoy, the largest self-reported group is Black at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.5%) and White (4.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Flennoy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Flennoy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (86.1%), Two or More Races (6.5%), White (4.6%). 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 Flennoy (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 Flennoy mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name in Normandy, France. 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 Flennoy (0.04 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 Flennoy?
You can see how many people are called Flennoy on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.