2000
#847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 37,125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 13.76
Uncommon Last name
Lynn
A locational surname referring to a person who lived near a lake, waterfall, or pool.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 42,034 Americans carry the last name Lynn. That puts it at #932 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 12.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,154 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lynn 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 Lynn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
42K
1 in 8,154
Census rank
#932
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
12.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
37K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 36,656 bearers of the surname Lynn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 12.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 932nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lynn, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.8%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lynn
The surname LYNN is an English locational name that originated from the Old English word 'lin' meaning a pool or lake. It was initially used to refer to someone who lived near a body of water, such as a lake or pond.
The name can be traced back to the 12th century when it was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Linna' in reference to a place in Norfolk, England. Over time, the spelling evolved into various forms like Linn, Linne, and eventually LYNN.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LYNN can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1181, where it appeared as 'Robertus de Linna'. This suggests that the name was well-established in parts of England by the late 12th century.
In the 13th century, the surname LYNN was associated with several notable individuals, including Sir Philip de Lynn, a knight who fought in the Battle of Lewes in 1264. Another early bearer of the name was William de Lynn, a wealthy merchant from King's Lynn, Norfolk, who lived in the late 13th century.
The surname LYNN has also been linked to various place names, such as King's Lynn in Norfolk, which was originally known as 'Lun' or 'Lenne' in Old English. This connection further reinforces the locational origin of the surname.
Among the notable bearers of the surname LYNN throughout history are:
1. Thomas Lynn (c. 1530-1616), an English mathematician and astronomer who served as the Chief Gunner of England.
2. Ralph Lynn (1882-1962), an English actor and comedian, known for his performances in films and on stage.
3. Vera Lynn (1917-2020), a renowned British singer and entertainer, famously known as the "Forces' Sweetheart" during World War II.
4. Jonathan Lynn (born 1943), a British writer, director, and actor, best known for co-writing and directing the comedy films "Clue" and "Nuns on the Run."
5. Loretta Lynn (1932-2022), an American singer-songwriter and author, considered a leading figure in country music and a recipient of numerous awards and accolades.
The surname LYNN has a rich history, originating from the Old English word for a pool or lake, and has been associated with various notable individuals, places, and events throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lynn
Among Census respondents with the surname Lynn, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.8%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Lynn 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 Lynn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.3% · 29,810
- Black or African American8.8% · 3,234
- Two or more races3.9% · 1,443
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 1,328
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 608
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 233
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lynn
Lynn 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
#924
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 37,644
+519 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 12.76
Rank movement Down 77 places
2020
#932
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,656
-988 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 12.26
Rank movement Down 8 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #847 | 37,125 | 13.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #924 | 37,644 | 12.76 | +519 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 77 places |
| 2020 | #932 | 36,656 | 12.26 | -988 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 8 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 Lynn 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 | #924 | #932 | -0.9% |
| Count | 37,644 | 36,656 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 12.76 | 12.26 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lynn bearers went from 37,644 to 36,656 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 8 positions in the national ranking, going from #924 to #932.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lynn
FAQ
Lynn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lynn?
Name Census estimates that about 42,034 living Americans carry the surname Lynn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,154 residents.
How common is Lynn?
Lynn ranks #932 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 12.26 per 100,000 residents, which is about 12 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 36,656 people with the surname Lynn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (42,034), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 12.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 12.26 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 12 of them to have the surname Lynn.
Has Lynn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lynn went from 37,644 recorded bearers to 36,656. That is a decrease of 988 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #924 to #932.
What does the Census say about the background of Lynn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lynn, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.8%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Lynn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.3% (29,810 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lynn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.3%), Black (8.8%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Lynn (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 Lynn mean?
A locational surname referring to a person who lived near a lake, waterfall, or 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 Lynn (12.26 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 Lynn?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Lynn, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.