Find out how popular the last name Lynam is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Lynam.

Lynam, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Lynam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lynam in America

Lynam is the 15864th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lynam surname appeared 1,834 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Lynam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lynam to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Lynam

The surname Lynam is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "lin," meaning a pool or stream, and the suffix "-ham," meaning a homestead or village. Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived near a pool or stream.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lynam can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared as "Linham," suggesting its connection to a place name.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, the name Lynam began to appear in various historical records across England, particularly in counties such as Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire. These areas were known for their numerous pools, streams, and other water sources, which may have contributed to the prevalence of the name in those regions.

One notable individual bearing the surname Lynam was John Lynam, who lived in the 15th century and was a prominent landowner in Nottinghamshire. Another was William Lynam, born in 1603, who served as a member of the English Parliament during the reign of King Charles I.

In the 17th century, the name Lynam also appeared in the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in North America, indicating that some individuals with this surname had migrated to the New World during this period.

One of the earliest known Lynams in America was Thomas Lynam, who was born in England in 1620 and settled in Massachusetts in the mid-1600s. He became a prominent figure in the colony and served as a selectman and militia captain.

During the 18th century, the Lynam surname continued to spread across various regions of England, as well as in the American colonies. Notable individuals from this period include Robert Lynam, a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War, and John Lynam, an Irish-born architect who designed several notable buildings in London in the late 1700s.

As for place names and older spellings, the name Lynam has been associated with various locations in England, such as Linham in Nottinghamshire, Lynham in Oxfordshire, and Lynham in Somerset. These place names likely contributed to the variations in spelling, including Linham, Lynham, and Lyneham.

Throughout history, the surname Lynam has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, including landowners, politicians, military officers, architects, and settlers in the New World.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lynam

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Lynam.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Lynam was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Lynam has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Lynam was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Lynam, please contact us.

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