NameCensus.

UK surname

Flavin

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Flaithin," meaning "descendant of Flaithin," a personal name meaning "little prince."

In the 1881 census there were 60 people recorded with the Flavin surname, ranking it #25,133 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 433, ranked #11,120, up from #25,133 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Dover St James, Dover St Mary and Ashford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Birmingham, Cardiff and St Albans.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Flavin is 475 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 621.7%.

1881 census count

60

Ranked #25,133

Modern count

433

2016, ranked #11,120

Peak year

2010

475 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Flavin had 60 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,133 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 433 in 2016, ranked #11,120.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 115 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Flavin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Flavin surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Flavin 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 17 #30,267
1861 historical 10 #32,589
1881 historical 60 #25,133
1891 historical 70 #28,073
1901 historical 105 #22,179
1911 historical 115 #20,951
1997 modern 399 #11,028
1998 modern 415 #11,061
1999 modern 431 #10,840
2000 modern 449 #10,459
2001 modern 437 #10,482
2002 modern 444 #10,553
2003 modern 418 #10,896
2004 modern 420 #10,889
2005 modern 430 #10,575
2006 modern 441 #10,411
2007 modern 456 #10,221
2008 modern 455 #10,319
2009 modern 465 #10,393
2010 modern 475 #10,445
2011 modern 461 #10,582
2012 modern 440 #10,849
2013 modern 453 #10,774
2014 modern 454 #10,818
2015 modern 444 #10,935
2016 modern 433 #11,120

Geography

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Where Flavins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Dover St James, Dover St Mary, Ashford, Hove and Cardiff St John and St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Birmingham, Cardiff, St Albans 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 London parishes London 3
2 Dover St James, Dover St Mary Kent
3 Ashford Kent
4 Hove Sussex
5 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Birmingham 111 Birmingham
2 Cardiff 017 Cardiff
3 St Albans 018 St Albans
4 Cardiff 022 Cardiff
5 Liverpool 027 Liverpool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Flavin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Flavin

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Flavin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Flavin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Flavin is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Flavin is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Flavin falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Flavin 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 Flavin, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Flavin

The surname Flavin has its origins in Ireland, tracing back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "flann," meaning "red" or "reddish." This suggests that the name was initially bestowed upon an individual with reddish hair or a ruddy complexion.

The Flavin name is predominantly found in County Galway, where it is believed to have originated. Records from the 13th century mention the Flavin family as landowners in the baronies of Longford and Leitrim.

One of the earliest documented references to the Flavin surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. In these annals, the name appears as "O'Flannagain," an early variant spelling.

During the 16th century, the Flavin family played a notable role in the Gaelic resistance against English rule in Connacht. Edmond Flavin (c. 1550-1618) was a prominent member of the clan and served as a captain in the Irish Confederate Wars.

Another notable figure was Father John Flavin (1628-1698), a Catholic priest and historian who wrote a detailed account of the Irish Rebellion of 1641. His work, titled "The Memoirs of the Life and Actions of Michael O'Flaverty," provides valuable insights into the events of that era.

In the 18th century, the name Flavin was associated with the town of Ballinasloe in County Galway. The Flavin family owned lands in the area, and a townland was named "Flavinstown" after them.

One of the most famous individuals with the Flavin surname was Martin Flavin (1845-1922), an Irish author and journalist. He was born in County Mayo and wrote extensively on Irish history and culture, including a book titled "The Annals of Connacht."

Another notable figure was John Flavin (1892-1975), an Irish politician and member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). He participated in the Irish War of Independence and later served as a member of the Irish Parliament (Dáil Éireann).

While the Flavin name has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Irish immigration. Individuals with the Flavin surname can now be found in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Flavin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Flavin 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. Glamorgan leads with 14 Flavins recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.74x.

County Total Index
Glamorgan 14 13.74x
Surrey 12 4.21x
Lancashire 10 1.44x
Sussex 7 7.10x
Middlesex 6 1.03x
Monmouthshire 5 11.82x
Gloucestershire 3 2.61x
Aberdeenshire 1 1.85x
Berkshire 1 2.28x
Devon 1 0.82x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Littlehampton in Sussex leads with 7 Flavins recorded in 1881 and an index of 886.08x.

Place Total Index
Littlehampton 7 886.08x
Cardiff St Mary 6 106.95x
Merthyr Tydfil 6 61.29x
Moss Side 5 136.99x
St Woollos 5 105.93x
Ash Normandy 4 1025.64x
Gatton 4 8000.00x
Bristol St Augustine 3 162.16x
Bootle Cum Linacre 2 36.30x
Isleworth 2 76.92x
Lambeth 2 3.92x
Liverpool 2 4.74x
St George In East London 2 36.36x
Aberavon 1 106.38x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 8.84x
Battersea 1 4.64x
Bethnal Green London 1 3.93x
Devonport 1 71.43x
Hampton London 1 104.17x
Hulme 1 6.90x
Reading St Giles 1 23.20x
Reigate Foreign 1 32.36x
Swansea Town 1 11.98x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Catherine 3
Bridget 2
Ellen 2
Margaret 2
Anie 1
Ann 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Charlotte 1
Elizabeth 1
Emma 1
Julia 1
Margt. 1
Maud 1
Norah 1
Rosana 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
Thomas 6
Patrick 3
David 2
James 2
Michael 2
William 2
Daniel 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Joseph 1
Orrise 1
Robert 1
Rubin 1
Thos. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Flavin households.

FAQ

Flavin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Flavin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 60 people were recorded with the Flavin surname. That placed it at #25,133 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Flavin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 433 in 2016. That gives Flavin a modern rank of #11,120.

What does the Flavin surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Flaithin," meaning "descendant of Flaithin," a personal name meaning "little prince."

What does the Flavin map show?

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