Flute
A surname possibly derived from someone who made or played the musical instrument.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 446 Americans carry the last name Flute. That puts it at #53,072 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 768,507 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Flute surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
446
1 in 768,507
Census rank
#53,072
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
390
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 390 bearers of the surname Flute in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 53072nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Flute, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 62.6%. The next largest groups are Black (17.7%) and White (11.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Flute
The surname "FLUTE" is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "flyte," which means "a hollow shaft" or "a channel." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a stream or a watercourse.
Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, dating back to the 14th century. In these records, the name appears in various spellings, such as "Flytte" and "Flyt."
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name "FLUTE" began to appear in parish records across various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Suffolk. One notable bearer of the name was John Flute, a merchant and ship owner from Hull, who lived between 1580 and 1642.
The name "FLUTE" is also associated with several place names in England, such as Flute Hall in Derbyshire and Flute Fen in Cambridgeshire. These place names may have influenced the adoption or evolution of the surname in certain areas.
Historically, the name has been recorded in various spellings, including "Fluit," "Flewte," and "Fluyt." One notable individual with this surname was Sir Walter Flute, a Knight of the Shire for Gloucestershire in the late 14th century.
Another famous bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Flute, a Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire in the early 17th century. He was also a prominent landowner and served as the High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire in 1616.
In the 18th century, the name "FLUTE" can be found in the records of several prominent families in England, such as the Flutes of Leiston Abbey in Suffolk and the Flutes of Oakham in Rutland.
One noteworthy figure from this period was Richard Flute, a prominent lawyer and writer who lived from 1705 to 1783. He authored several legal treatises and was a respected authority on English law.
Another individual of note was Admiral Sir John Flute, a Royal Navy officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1770 and played a significant role in several naval battles, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Flute
Among Census respondents with the surname Flute, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 62.6%. The next largest groups are Black (17.7%) and White (11.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Flute bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Flute surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native62.6%
- Black or African American17.7%
- White11.5%
- Two or more races5.4%
- Unknown or suppressed2.8%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Flute surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #53,782 | #53,072 | 1.3% |
| Count | 360 | 390 | 8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0.0% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Flute bearers went from 360 to 390 (+8.3% change). The surname moved up 710 positions in the national ranking, going from #53,782 to #53,072.
FAQ
Flute surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Flute?
The surname Flute holds position #53,072 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 446 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Flute surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Flute, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 62.6%. The next largest groups are Black (17.7%) and White (11.5%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.