2000
#14,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,871
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Lynam
Originally a topographic surname derived from a place name meaning "dweller near the pool."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,082 Americans carry the last name Lynam. That puts it at #15,519 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 164,627 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lynam 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 Lynam with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 164,627
Census rank
#15,519
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,816 bearers of the surname Lynam in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15519th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lynam, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lynam
Among Census respondents with the surname Lynam, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Lynam 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 Lynam surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 1,667
- Two or more races3.4% · 62
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 15
- Black or African American0.6% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lynam
Lynam 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
#15,864
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,834
-37 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 1,274 places
2020
#15,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,816
-18 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 345 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,590 | 1,871 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,864 | 1,834 | 0.62 | -37 bearers (-2.0%) | Down 1,274 places |
| 2020 | #15,519 | 1,816 | 0.61 | -18 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 345 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 Lynam 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 | #15,864 | #15,519 | 2.2% |
| Count | 1,834 | 1,816 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.62 | 0.61 | -2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lynam bearers went from 1,834 to 1,816 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 345 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,864 to #15,519.
FAQ
Lynam surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lynam?
Name Census estimates that about 2,082 living Americans carry the surname Lynam. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 164,627 residents.
How common is Lynam?
Lynam ranks #15,519 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,816 people with the surname Lynam. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,082), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Lynam.
Has Lynam become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lynam went from 1,834 recorded bearers to 1,816. That is a decrease of 18 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,864 to #15,519.
What does the Census say about the background of Lynam?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lynam, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Lynam in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (1,667 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lynam appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Lynam (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 Lynam mean?
Originally a topographic surname derived from a place name meaning "dweller near the pool." 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 Lynam (0.61 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 have the last name Lynam?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Lynam at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.