NameCensus.

UK surname

Clynch

A variant of the surname Lynch, of Irish origin derived from the Gaelic surname Ó Loingsigh meaning "descendant of the mariner".

In the 1881 census there were 62 people recorded with the Clynch surname, ranking it #24,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 149, ranked #23,844, up from #24,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wirral, Peterborough and Liverpool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Clynch is 179 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 140.3%.

1881 census count

62

Ranked #24,843

Modern count

149

2016, ranked #23,844

Peak year

2002

179 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Clynch had 62 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 149 in 2016, ranked #23,844.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 78 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Clynch surname distribution map

The map shows where the Clynch surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Clynch surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Clynch over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 15 #30,614
1861 historical 33 #29,814
1881 historical 62 #24,843
1891 historical 74 #27,538
1901 historical 78 #25,500
1911 historical 71 #25,742
1997 modern 160 #20,259
1998 modern 163 #20,582
1999 modern 178 #19,592
2000 modern 170 #20,120
2001 modern 174 #19,562
2002 modern 179 #19,598
2003 modern 161 #20,697
2004 modern 153 #21,528
2005 modern 151 #21,667
2006 modern 153 #21,643
2007 modern 158 #21,464
2008 modern 157 #21,766
2009 modern 161 #21,879
2010 modern 170 #21,560
2011 modern 158 #22,473
2012 modern 142 #24,148
2013 modern 153 #23,314
2014 modern 150 #23,864
2015 modern 146 #24,148
2016 modern 149 #23,844

Geography

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Where Clynchs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wirral, Peterborough and Liverpool. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wirral 021 Wirral
2 Wirral 016 Wirral
3 Wirral 027 Wirral
4 Peterborough 002 Peterborough
5 Liverpool 038 Liverpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Clynch

These lists show first names that appear often with the Clynch surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Clynch

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Clynch, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Clynch surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Clynch household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Clynch is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Clynch is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Clynch falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Clynch is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Clynch, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Clynch

The surname CLYNCH is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "clenchen," which means "to grip tightly" or "to grasp firmly." This could suggest that the name was initially given to someone with a strong or forceful personality.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name CLYNCH can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners in England. The entry mentions a person named Robert Clynch, who was a landowner in Oxfordshire at the time.

In the 14th century, the name CLYNCH appeared in various legal documents and records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, which listed taxpayers in Somerset. This suggests that the name had spread to different parts of England by that time.

During the 15th century, the name CLYNCH was associated with several notable individuals. One of them was John Clynch, a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, who lived from around 1410 to 1480. Another was Thomas Clynch, a prominent lawyer and judge who served as a Justice of the Common Pleas in the 1470s.

In the 16th century, the surname CLYNCH continued to appear in various records, including parish registers and wills. One example is William Clynch, who was born in Gloucestershire in 1542 and served as a member of the English Parliament in the late 16th century.

As the centuries progressed, the CLYNCH surname spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. In the 17th century, there are records of a family named Clynch residing in County Cork, Ireland. One notable member of this family was Theobald Clynch, who was a prominent landowner and lived from around 1640 to 1705.

In the 18th century, the name CLYNCH was found in several parts of England, as well as in Ireland and North America. One notable figure was John Clynch, an Irish-born merchant and ship owner who lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from around 1730 to 1795.

Throughout history, the surname CLYNCH has been subject to various spelling variations, such as Clinch, Clynche, and Clynk. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects, scribal errors, and the evolution of language over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Clynch families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Clynch surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 22 Clynchs recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.07x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 22 3.07x
Yorkshire 17 2.84x
Cheshire 15 11.24x
Cumberland 6 11.53x
Middlesex 1 0.17x
Warwickshire 1 0.66x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 11 Clynchs recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.24x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 11 25.24x
Middlesbrough 8 102.56x
Everton 7 30.61x
Runcorn 7 227.27x
Cleator 6 276.50x
Brightside Bierlow 4 34.04x
Kirkdale 4 33.14x
Liscard 4 165.98x
Northowram 3 71.43x
Tranmere 3 61.10x
Linthorpe 2 55.87x
Birkenhead 1 9.40x
Coleshill 1 204.08x
Hackney London 1 2.95x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Clynch surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 6
Elizabeth 5
Margaret 4
Agnes 2
Ann 2
Bridget 2
Sarah 2
Alice 1
Annie 1
Catherine 1
Ellen 1
Eva 1
Frances 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Margerat 1
Rose 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Clynch surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

FAQ

Clynch surname: questions and answers

How common was the Clynch surname in 1881?

In 1881, 62 people were recorded with the Clynch surname. That placed it at #24,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Clynch surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 149 in 2016. That gives Clynch a modern rank of #23,844.

What does the Clynch surname mean?

A variant of the surname Lynch, of Irish origin derived from the Gaelic surname Ó Loingsigh meaning "descendant of the mariner".

What does the Clynch map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Clynch bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.