2000
#487
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 61,747
First available Census row
Per 100,000 22.89
Uncommon Last name
Flynn
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Floinn," meaning "descendant of Flann" (a byname meaning "red" or "ruddy").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 70,341 Americans carry the last name Flynn. That puts it at #537 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 20.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 4,873 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Flynn 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 Flynn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
70K
1 in 4,873
Census rank
#537
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
20.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
61K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 61,341 bearers of the surname Flynn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 20.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 537th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Flynn, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Flynn
The surname Flynn is of Irish origin and is derived from the Gaelic Ó Floinn, meaning "descendant of Flann". It can be traced back to the 10th century in Ireland, where it was originally found in County Armagh and County Mayo. The name is believed to be derived from the Old Irish personal name Flann, which means "red" or "ruddy complexion".
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a "Flann mac Mael-tuile" in the year 948. This entry suggests that the name was in use as a personal name during this time period, and it likely evolved into a hereditary surname in the following centuries.
In the 12th century, the surname Flynn appears in the Book of Leinster, an important manuscript containing some of the earliest examples of Irish literature and genealogies. This record indicates that the name was well-established in Ireland by this time.
The earliest recorded bearer of the surname Flynn was Mathghamhain Ó Floinn, who was mentioned in the Annals of Connacht in 1316. This entry provides evidence of the surname's existence in the 14th century.
During the Middle Ages, the Flynn family held lands in County Armagh and played a significant role in the region's history. One notable figure was Gilla-na-naemh Ó Floinn, who was the Bishop of Armagh from 1349 to 1362.
In later centuries, the surname spread throughout Ireland and beyond. Notable individuals with the surname Flynn include:
1. Errol Flynn (1909-1959), an Australian-American actor known for his roles in swashbuckler films.
2. Elizabeth Gurley Flynn (1890-1964), an American labor leader and activist.
3. Raymond Flynn (born 1939), an American politician who served as the Mayor of Boston from 1984 to 1993.
4. Daniel J. Flynn (1864-1950), an Irish-American prelate who served as the Bishop of Ogdensburg from 1904 to 1914.
5. Brian Flynn (born 1955), a Welsh football player and manager who played for Burnley and managed the Welsh national team.
Overall, the surname Flynn has a rich history rooted in Ireland, with its origins dating back to the 10th century and its prevalence spanning various regions and historical periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Flynn
Among Census respondents with the surname Flynn, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Flynn 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 Flynn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 54,750
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 2,086
- Black or African American3.1% · 1,920
- Two or more races2.9% · 1,763
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 489
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 333
Timeline
Historical Census data for Flynn
Flynn 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
#534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 63,400
+1,653 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 21.49
Rank movement Down 47 places
2020
#537
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 61,341
-2,059 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 20.52
Rank movement Down 3 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #487 | 61,747 | 22.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #534 | 63,400 | 21.49 | +1,653 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 47 places |
| 2020 | #537 | 61,341 | 20.52 | -2,059 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 3 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 Flynn 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 | #534 | #537 | -0.6% |
| Count | 63,400 | 61,341 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 21.49 | 20.52 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Flynn bearers went from 63,400 to 61,341 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 3 positions in the national ranking, going from #534 to #537.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Flynn
FAQ
Flynn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Flynn?
Name Census estimates that about 70,341 living Americans carry the surname Flynn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 4,873 residents.
How common is Flynn?
Flynn ranks #537 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 20.52 per 100,000 residents, which is about 21 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 61,341 people with the surname Flynn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (70,341), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 20.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 20.52 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 21 of them to have the surname Flynn.
Has Flynn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Flynn went from 63,400 recorded bearers to 61,341. That is a decrease of 2,059 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #534 to #537.
What does the Census say about the background of Flynn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Flynn, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (3.1%). 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 Flynn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (54,750 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Flynn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Hispanic (3.4%), Black (3.1%). 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 Flynn (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 Flynn mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Floinn," meaning "descendant of Flann" (a byname meaning "red" or "ruddy"). 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 Flynn (20.52 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 common is the surname Flynn?
See how many people have the last name Flynn on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.