NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Flint

From an Old English word meaning "the gray or yellow rock".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Flint is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Flint popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4270, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2020, with 11 births.

This profile covers 121 England and Wales registrations across 20 recorded years from 1999 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 36% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 120 living people in the UK are called Flint. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Flint ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2020, when 11 boys were registered as Flint.
  • About 120 living people in the UK are estimated to have Flint as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4270

2024

Births in 2024

4

Latest year

Peak year

2020

11 births

Estimated living

120

2026

Meaning

What does Flint mean?

The name Flint originates from the Old English word 'flint' which means a hard, sedimentary rock used for creating sparks and lighting fires. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word 'flins' which also meant a type of stone. The name was initially given as a surname to people who lived near areas where flint was found or worked with the rock.

In the early medieval period, the name started being used as a given name, especially in England and other parts of the British Isles. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Flint was in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was listed as a surname for several individuals.

Flint has been a relatively uncommon given name throughout history, but it has been borne by a few notable individuals. One of the earliest was Flint Stow, an English chronicler and historian who lived in the early 16th century and wrote about the history of London.

Another famous bearer of the name was Flint Ledyard, an American explorer and adventurer born in 1762. He was a cousin of the renowned traveler John Ledyard and served as a captain in the United States Navy.

In the 19th century, Flint Clawson was an American settler and pioneer who helped establish the city of Centerville, Utah in 1847. He was born in 1803 and was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Moving into the 20th century, Flint Dille was an American television writer and producer best known for creating the animated series Transformers. He was born in 1924 and passed away in 2016.

Finally, Flint Mackenzie is a contemporary Australian singer-songwriter and musician who has released several albums since the early 2000s. He was born in 1979 and continues to perform and record music.

While not a common name, Flint has had a long history dating back to the Middle Ages and has been borne by individuals from various backgrounds and professions throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Flint over time

The chart below shows babies named Flint registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1999 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Flint, the clearest high point is 2020. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 11 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Flint
036811199920112024

Decades

Flint by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Flint was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #3332 25 4
2010s #3048 59 9
2000s #2821 32 6
1990s #2097 5 1

Related

Names similar to Flint

FAQ

Flint: questions and answers

How popular is the name Flint in the UK right now?

In 2024, Flint was ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Flint most popular?

The peak year on record was 2020, with 11 babies registered as Flint in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Flint?

From an Old English word meaning "the gray or yellow rock".

How many people are called Flint in the UK?

A total of 121 babies have been registered as Flint across the 20 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.