2000
#32,782
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 660
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.24
Very Rare Last name
Franklyn
A surname derived from a medieval French variant of the Germanic name Franklin, meaning "free man."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 994 Americans carry the last name Franklyn. That puts it at #29,114 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 344,823 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Franklyn 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 Franklyn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
994
1 in 344,823
Census rank
#29,114
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
867
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 867 bearers of the surname Franklyn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 29114th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Franklyn, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.9%. The next largest groups are White (32.9%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Franklyn
The surname FRANKLYN is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "franc," meaning "free" or "freeman." The name first emerged in the 12th century, referring to individuals who were not bound to the land or a feudal lord, unlike serfs or villeins.
This surname is closely associated with the Norman conquest of England in 1066, as many Norman nobles and their retainers settled in the country, bringing their linguistic and cultural influences. The name FRANKLYN likely originated among these Norman settlers, who enjoyed greater freedoms and privileges compared to the native Anglo-Saxon population.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Franclin" or "Franclein," indicating its presence in various parts of the country shortly after the Norman conquest.
During the Middle Ages, the FRANKLYN surname was particularly prevalent in the southern counties of England, such as Kent, Sussex, and Hampshire. This may be attributed to the high concentration of Norman settlements in these areas, where the name took root and spread.
Notable historical figures bearing the FRANKLYN surname include:
1. William FRANKLYN (c. 1480 - 1556), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Middlesex in the mid-16th century.
2. Richard FRANKLYN (1603 - 1685), an English Puritan clergyman and writer who published several religious works during the 17th century.
3. Rosalind FRANKLYN (1662 - 1737), a notable English feminist and writer who advocated for women's rights and education in the early 18th century.
4. Benjamin FRANKLYN (1706 - 1790), a renowned American polymath, writer, inventor, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, though his surname is more commonly spelled as "Franklin."
5. Thomas FRANKLYN (1779 - 1856), an English architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.
It is worth noting that variations in spelling were common in historical records, with the surname appearing as FRANKLYN, FRANKLIN, FRANCKLIN, or FRANCKLYN, among others. Additionally, some instances of the name may have derived from place names or locations, such as Franklin in Somerset or Franklyn's Green in Hertfordshire.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Franklyn
Among Census respondents with the surname Franklyn, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.9%. The next largest groups are White (32.9%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Franklyn 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 Franklyn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American56.9% · 493
- White32.9% · 285
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 38
- Two or more races4.0% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Franklyn
Franklyn 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
#32,438
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 709
+49 bearers (+7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Up 344 places
2020
#29,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 867
+158 bearers (+22.3%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Up 3,324 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #32,782 | 660 | 0.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #32,438 | 709 | 0.24 | +49 bearers (+7.4%) | Up 344 places |
| 2020 | #29,114 | 867 | 0.29 | +158 bearers (+22.3%) | Up 3,324 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 Franklyn 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 | #32,438 | #29,114 | 10.2% |
| Count | 709 | 867 | 22.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.24 | 0.29 | 20.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Franklyn bearers went from 709 to 867 (+22.3% change). The surname moved up 3,324 positions in the national ranking, going from #32,438 to #29,114.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Franklyn
FAQ
Franklyn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Franklyn?
Name Census estimates that about 994 living Americans carry the surname Franklyn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 344,823 residents.
How common is Franklyn?
Franklyn ranks #29,114 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.29 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 867 people with the surname Franklyn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (994), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.29 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 Franklyn.
Has Franklyn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Franklyn went from 709 recorded bearers to 867. That is an increase of 158 (+22.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #32,438 to #29,114.
What does the Census say about the background of Franklyn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Franklyn, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.9%. The next largest groups are White (32.9%) and Hispanic (4.4%). 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 Franklyn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.9% (493 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Franklyn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (56.9%), White (32.9%), Hispanic (4.4%). 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 Franklyn (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 Franklyn mean?
A surname derived from a medieval French variant of the Germanic name Franklin, meaning "free man." 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 Franklyn (0.29 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 Franklyn?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Franklyn, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.