NameCensus.

UK surname

Flagg

An occupational surname for a flag bearer or a nickname for someone who carried a military flag or banner.

In the 1881 census there were 155 people recorded with the Flagg surname, ranking it #15,174 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 196, ranked #19,848, down from #15,174 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lovington, London parishes and Ditcheat, West Bradley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bath and North East Somerset, West Somerset and Wealden.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Flagg is 224 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 26.5%.

1881 census count

155

Ranked #15,174

Modern count

196

2016, ranked #19,848

Peak year

1998

224 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Flagg had 155 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,174 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 196 in 2016, ranked #19,848.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 177 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Flagg surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Flagg surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Flagg 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 88 #18,569
1861 historical 107 #20,008
1881 historical 155 #15,174
1891 historical 161 #17,473
1901 historical 167 #16,943
1911 historical 177 #16,129
1997 modern 221 #16,565
1998 modern 224 #16,888
1999 modern 215 #17,425
2000 modern 220 #17,138
2001 modern 222 #16,806
2002 modern 218 #17,338
2003 modern 215 #17,286
2004 modern 216 #17,331
2005 modern 194 #18,512
2006 modern 193 #18,675
2007 modern 199 #18,542
2008 modern 195 #18,958
2009 modern 196 #19,274
2010 modern 202 #19,322
2011 modern 198 #19,410
2012 modern 194 #19,606
2013 modern 199 #19,584
2014 modern 204 #19,439
2015 modern 200 #19,567
2016 modern 196 #19,848

Geography

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Where Flaggs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lovington, London parishes, Ditcheat, West Bradley, Lyncombe and Widcombe and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bath and North East Somerset, West Somerset, Wealden and Mendip. 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 Lovington Somerset
2 London parishes London 1
3 Ditcheat, West Bradley Somerset
4 Lyncombe and Widcombe Somerset
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bath and North East Somerset 026 Bath and North East Somerset
2 West Somerset 001 West Somerset
3 Wealden 008 Wealden
4 Mendip 002 Mendip
5 Bath and North East Somerset 025 Bath and North East Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Flagg

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Flagg

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Flagg, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Flagg surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Flagg household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Flagg is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Flagg is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Flagg falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Flagg is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 20-25 mbit/s.

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

4
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Flagg

The surname Flagg is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "flagge," meaning a patch of land or a plot of ground. It first appeared in the 12th century and was initially used as a topographic name to identify someone who lived near a specific plot of land or a flagg.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Flagg can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1198, where a Robert de la Flagge is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established by the late 12th century.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several references to places with similar names, such as "Flage" in Staffordshire and "Flagge" in Lincolnshire, which may have contributed to the development of the surname.

The name Flagg is also associated with various place names in England, such as Flagg in Derbyshire and Flagg Pasture in Yorkshire. These place names likely derived from the Old English word "flagge" and may have influenced the surname's origin and distribution.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Flagg. One of the earliest recorded was John Flagg, born in 1592 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, who was a prominent merchant and landowner.

Another notable figure was Gershom Flagg (1637-1692), an early American colonist and one of the founders of Lancaster, Massachusetts. He played a crucial role in the settlement and development of the town.

In the 18th century, Wilson Flagg (1786-1854) was an American author and naturalist known for his works on natural history and agriculture.

James Montgomery Flagg (1877-1960) was a renowned American artist and illustrator, best known for his iconic recruitment poster featuring Uncle Sam during World War I.

More recently, Kathryn Flagg (1892-1968) was an American sculptor and artist celebrated for her works depicting Native American subjects and themes.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Flagg throughout history, highlighting its enduring presence and significance across various fields and regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Flagg families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Flagg 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. Somerset leads with 41 Flaggs recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.85x.

County Total Index
Somerset 41 16.85x
Middlesex 32 2.12x
Cambridgeshire 16 16.71x
Essex 12 4.02x
Lancashire 12 0.67x
Kent 9 1.74x
Norfolk 9 3.87x
Suffolk 7 3.80x
Gloucestershire 5 1.69x
Cheshire 3 0.90x
Lincolnshire 3 1.24x
Dorset 2 2.02x
Yorkshire 2 0.13x
Berkshire 1 0.88x
Surrey 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Marylebone London in Middlesex leads with 19 Flaggs recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.54x.

Place Total Index
St Marylebone London 19 23.54x
Elm 11 1170.21x
Lyncombe Widcombe 11 172.68x
West Ham 11 16.69x
Spotland 8 40.12x
West Bradley Lottisham 7 8750.00x
Sprowston 6 582.52x
Wheathill 6 30000.00x
Baltonsborough 5 1388.89x
Bitton 5 193.80x
Debenham 5 819.67x
Deptford St Paul 5 12.57x
St Clement Eastcheap 4 10000.00x
Taunton St James 4 112.68x
Woolwich 4 20.99x
Fosdyke 3 1200.00x
March 3 93.46x
Stayley 3 78.74x
Elton 2 32.26x
Farmborough 2 454.55x
Islington London 2 1.36x
Kensington London 2 2.38x
Lovington 2 1818.18x
Salford 2 3.79x
Shoreditch London 2 3.05x
St Pancras London 2 1.64x
Wisbech St Peter 2 41.67x
Bath St Michael 1 81.30x
Bishops Hull 1 126.58x
Clapham 1 5.29x
Compton Dundon 1 333.33x
Cowdens Ambo 1 1666.67x
Ditcheat 1 238.10x
Doncaster 1 9.13x
Drayton 1 476.19x
Hornsey 1 5.23x
Kinson 1 51.55x
Leyton 1 19.46x
Lowestoft 1 11.49x
Norwich St Mary At Coslany 1 151.52x
Reading St Giles 1 8.98x
Rushmere 1 250.00x
Wighton 1 384.62x
Wimborne Minster 1 62.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Sarah 6
Elizabeth 5
Charlotte 4
Emma 4
Ann 3
Annie 3
Caroline 3
Jane 3
Alice 2
Celia 2
Edith 2
Frances 2
Infant 2
Julia 2
Martha 2
A. 1
Adeliade 1
Agnes 1
Anna 1
Beatrice 1
Elisabeth 1
Eliza 1
Elizebeth 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Evelina 1
Florence 1
G. 1
Georgina 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Kate 1
Katherine 1
Lavina 1
Luisa 1
Margary 1
Margrate 1
Maria 1
Matena 1
Maude 1
Minnie 1
Phoeba 1
Sophia 1
Susanna 1
Susannah 1
Susie 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Flagg surname: questions and answers

How common was the Flagg surname in 1881?

In 1881, 155 people were recorded with the Flagg surname. That placed it at #15,174 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Flagg surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 196 in 2016. That gives Flagg a modern rank of #19,848.

What does the Flagg surname mean?

An occupational surname for a flag bearer or a nickname for someone who carried a military flag or banner.

What does the Flagg map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Flagg 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.