2000
#6,180
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.89
Rare Last name
Flournoy
A French locational surname derived from a place name meaning "the flowering walnut tree."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,910 Americans carry the last name Flournoy. That puts it at #6,343 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 57,996 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Flournoy 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
5.9K
1 in 57,996
Census rank
#6,343
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,154 bearers of the surname Flournoy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6343rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Flournoy, the largest self-reported group is Black at 49.4%. The next largest groups are White (41.0%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Flournoy
The surname Flournoy has its origins in France, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "flour," meaning "flour" or "flower," which could suggest a connection to a miller's trade or a location known for its abundance of flowers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the department of Haute-Garonne in southwestern France, where the village of Flournoy is situated. This place name likely influenced the formation of the surname, as it was common for people to adopt surnames based on their place of origin or residence.
In the 17th century, a notable figure with the surname Flournoy was Jacques Flournoy (1620-1692), a French Huguenot who fled religious persecution and settled in the Netherlands. His descendants later emigrated to the American colonies, establishing the Flournoy lineage in the United States.
Another influential figure was John James Flournoy (1733-1812), an American politician and lawyer who served as a delegate from Virginia to the Continental Congress during the American Revolutionary War. He played a significant role in the formation of the United States Constitution.
Thomas Flournoy (1774-1855) was a prominent American military officer and politician who served as the 11th United States Secretary of War under President James Madison during the War of 1812. His leadership and strategic decisions shaped the course of the war and the development of the United States military.
In the literary realm, Édouard Flournoy (1815-1902) was a Swiss writer and translator known for his works in French literature. He contributed to the translation of several notable English authors into French, including William Shakespeare and Lord Byron.
Robert Thurston Flournoy (1885-1972) was an American architect recognized for his innovative designs and contributions to the field of architecture. He was responsible for designing numerous buildings and structures across the United States, leaving a lasting impact on the architectural landscape.
Throughout history, the surname Flournoy has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including politicians, military leaders, writers, and architects. While its origins can be traced back to France, the name has gained significance and recognition in other parts of the world, particularly in the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Flournoy
Among Census respondents with the surname Flournoy, the largest self-reported group is Black at 49.4%. The next largest groups are White (41.0%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Flournoy 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 Flournoy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American49.4% · 2,546
- White41.0% · 2,113
- Two or more races5.4% · 276
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 171
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Flournoy
Flournoy 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
#6,370
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,344
+240 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.81
Rank movement Down 190 places
2020
#6,343
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,154
-190 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 1.72
Rank movement Up 27 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,180 | 5,104 | 1.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,370 | 5,344 | 1.81 | +240 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 190 places |
| 2020 | #6,343 | 5,154 | 1.72 | -190 bearers (-3.6%) | Up 27 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 Flournoy 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 | #6,370 | #6,343 | 0.4% |
| Count | 5,344 | 5,154 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.81 | 1.72 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Flournoy bearers went from 5,344 to 5,154 (-3.6% change). The surname moved up 27 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,370 to #6,343.
FAQ
Flournoy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Flournoy?
Name Census estimates that about 5,910 living Americans carry the surname Flournoy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 57,996 residents.
How common is Flournoy?
Flournoy ranks #6,343 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,154 people with the surname Flournoy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,910), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Flournoy.
Has Flournoy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Flournoy went from 5,344 recorded bearers to 5,154. That is a decrease of 190 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,370 to #6,343.
What does the Census say about the background of Flournoy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Flournoy, the largest self-reported group is Black at 49.4%. The next largest groups are White (41.0%) and Two or More Races (5.4%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Flournoy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.4% (2,546 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Flournoy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (49.4%), White (41.0%), Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Flournoy (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 Flournoy mean?
A French locational surname derived from a place name meaning "the flowering walnut tree." 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 Flournoy (1.72 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 Flournoy?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.