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

Lynch, 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 Lynch surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lynch in America

Lynch is the 259th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lynch surname appeared 117,708 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 40 people would have the surname Lynch.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lynch 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 Lynch

The surname Lynch is an anglicized version of the Old Gaelic name Ó Loingsigh, which originated in Ireland. The name derives from the Irish word "loingseach," meaning a naval person or mariner. This suggests that the original bearers of this surname may have been involved in maritime activities or lived near the coast.

The Lynch surname first appeared in records dating back to the 12th century in County Galway, Ireland. One of the earliest documented references to the name is found in the Annals of Lough Cé, which mentions a member of the Lynch family named Tomaltach Ó Loingsigh in 1171.

During the Norman invasion of Ireland in the late 12th century, the Lynch family played a significant role in the defense of their territory in County Galway. They established themselves as a prominent family in the town of Galway and held positions of influence within the local government.

In the 14th century, the Lynch family gained notoriety through the legend of the Lynch Stone, which is associated with the story of James Lynch Fitzstephen, the Mayor of Galway in 1493. According to the legend, he hanged his own son for murder, demonstrating his commitment to upholding the law.

Notable individuals with the Lynch surname include:

1. Dominick Lynch (c. 1292 - c. 1370), a prominent merchant and landowner in Galway.
2. Sir Henry Lynch-Blosse (1604 - 1691), an English soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament.
3. Anne Lynch Botta (1815 - 1891), an American writer and poet.
4. Thomas Tate Tobin Lynch (1844 - 1898), an Australian politician and Premier of Queensland.
5. David Lynch (born 1946), an American filmmaker, painter, and visual artist known for his surrealist works such as "Blue Velvet" and "Twin Peaks."

As the Lynch family spread throughout Ireland and later to other parts of the world, variations in the spelling of the surname emerged, including Linch, Lyntch, and Lynche.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lynch

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

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 Lynch 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 Lynch 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 Lynch was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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