NameCensus.

UK surname

Flinn

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Floinn," meaning "descendant of Flann" (a personal name meaning "red" or "ruddy").

In the 1881 census there were 1,811 people recorded with the Flinn surname, ranking it #2,404 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 782, ranked #7,053, down from #2,404 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Edinburgh and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, Erewash and The Shore and Constitution Street.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Flinn is 1,811 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 56.8%.

1881 census count

1,811

Ranked #2,404

Modern count

782

2016, ranked #7,053

Peak year

1881

1,811 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Flinn had 1,811 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,404 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 782 in 2016, ranked #7,053.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,811 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Flinn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Flinn surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Flinn 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 1,577 #1,827
1861 historical 1,615 #1,762
1881 historical 1,811 #2,404
1891 historical 1,190 #3,605
1901 historical 1,199 #4,108
1911 historical 849 #5,229
1997 modern 771 #6,731
1998 modern 785 #6,864
1999 modern 793 #6,852
2000 modern 778 #6,925
2001 modern 754 #6,964
2002 modern 781 #6,910
2003 modern 742 #7,075
2004 modern 727 #7,181
2005 modern 720 #7,161
2006 modern 718 #7,220
2007 modern 743 #7,107
2008 modern 754 #7,077
2009 modern 755 #7,213
2010 modern 786 #7,129
2011 modern 768 #7,180
2012 modern 760 #7,150
2013 modern 766 #7,220
2014 modern 791 #7,068
2015 modern 779 #7,082
2016 modern 782 #7,053

Geography

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Where Flinns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Edinburgh, Manchester, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, Erewash, The Shore and Constitution Street, Pollok North and East and Isle of Anglesey. 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 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 004 Copeland
2 Erewash 009 Erewash
3 The Shore and Constitution Street City of Edinburgh
4 Pollok North and East Glasgow City
5 Isle of Anglesey 004 Isle of Anglesey

Forenames

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First names often paired with Flinn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Flinn

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Flinn, 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 Flinn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Flinn 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Flinn is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Flinn is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Flinn falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Flinn is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Flinn

The surname Flinn originated in Ireland, likely in the early medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic name Ó Floinn, which means "descendant of Flann". Flann was a popular Irish name derived from the old Irish word "flann" meaning "red" or "ruddy".

The Flinn surname is found primarily in Ulster, especially in counties Antrim and Derry. It is also seen in parts of Connacht and Leinster. The name has several spelling variations, including Flynn, O'Flynn, and Flin.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where a Gilla Pátraic Ó Floinn is mentioned in the year 1154.

In the 16th century, a Flinn family was recorded as holding lands in County Antrim. The Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of royal decrees, mentions a pardon granted to Edmond Flin of County Antrim in 1584.

Notable individuals with the surname Flinn include Michael Flinn (1825-1898), an Irish-born American politician who served as mayor of Chicago from 1876 to 1879. Another prominent figure was Thomas Flinn (1852-1931), an American politician and businessman from Pennsylvania.

In the literary world, Kathleen Flinn (born 1969) is a renowned American food writer and memoirist, best known for her book "The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry".

Moving to the world of sports, John Flinn (1926-2007) was a Scottish professional football player and manager, who played for Airdrieonians and managed several clubs, including Partick Thistle.

Finally, in the field of science, Robert Flinn (1888-1969) was a British geologist and petrologist, known for his contributions to the study of igneous and metamorphic rocks.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Flinn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Flinn 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 457 Flinns recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.18x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 457 2.18x
Lanarkshire 161 2.82x
Yorkshire 147 0.84x
Middlesex 146 0.83x
Cumberland 75 4.94x
Surrey 73 0.85x
Angus 70 4.28x
Durham 67 1.28x
Northumberland 61 2.32x
Warwickshire 57 1.28x
Renfrewshire 49 3.59x
Cheshire 48 1.23x
Kent 46 0.76x
Staffordshire 43 0.72x
Ayrshire 32 2.42x
Wigtownshire 27 11.53x
Midlothian 24 1.02x
Perthshire 22 2.78x
Kirkcudbrightshire 20 7.83x
Isle of Man 17 5.19x
Monmouthshire 15 1.18x
Derbyshire 12 0.43x
Cornwall 11 0.55x
Glamorgan 11 0.36x
Shropshire 11 0.72x
Aberdeenshire 10 0.61x
Sussex 10 0.34x
Worcestershire 9 0.39x
Essex 8 0.23x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.29x
East Lothian 6 2.57x
Hertfordshire 6 0.49x
Roxburghshire 6 1.88x
Selkirkshire 5 3.13x
Stirlingshire 5 0.77x
Dumfriesshire 4 1.03x
Dunbartonshire 4 0.84x
Westmorland 4 1.03x
Channel Islands 3 0.57x
Dorset 2 0.17x
Gloucestershire 2 0.06x
Hampshire 2 0.06x
Norfolk 2 0.07x
Northamptonshire 2 0.12x
Anglesey 1 0.32x
Berkshire 1 0.08x
Devon 1 0.03x
Lincolnshire 1 0.04x
Oxfordshire 1 0.09x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.18x
Royal Navy 1 0.48x
West Lothian 1 0.38x
Wiltshire 1 0.06x

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 88 Flinns recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.92x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 88 6.92x
Manchester 69 7.33x
Glasgow 50 4.94x
Barony 46 3.19x
Dundee 45 7.38x
Birkenhead 32 10.31x
Bootle Cum Linacre 31 18.65x
Govan 25 1.77x
Kilbarchan 23 55.40x
Newington 18 2.76x
Cleator 16 25.32x
Coventry St Michael 16 11.20x
Leeds 16 1.62x
Southwark St Saviour 16 17.65x
Toxteth Park 16 2.26x
Birmingham 15 1.01x
West Derby 15 2.45x
Liff Benvie 14 5.64x
Prescot 14 36.99x
Salford 14 2.27x
Sheffield 14 2.52x
Aspull 13 26.41x
Aston 13 1.06x
Chorlton On Medlock 13 3.91x
Islington London 13 0.76x
Barrow In Furness 12 4.22x
Bethnal Green London 12 1.57x
Byker 12 9.25x
Coventry Holy Trinity 12 9.04x
Kilmarnock 12 7.64x
Kirkmaiden 12 80.97x
St Marylebone London 12 1.27x
Castleton 11 5.26x
Escomb 11 45.62x
Fulham London 11 4.30x
Kirkdale 11 3.12x
Mile End Old Town London 11 2.93x
Preston Quarter 11 25.85x
Stair 11 195.38x
Whitehaven 11 13.59x
Cheetham 10 6.41x
Deptford St Paul 10 2.15x
Everton 10 1.50x
Gateshead 10 2.55x
Harrington 10 54.56x
Lanark 10 21.79x
Malew 10 34.95x
Newton 10 6.20x
Ripon 10 24.66x
St Woollos 10 7.03x
Urr 10 30.11x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 9 2.94x
Berwick Upon Tweed 9 16.19x
Clunie 9 257.14x
Dalziel 9 14.67x
Hammerwich 9 106.51x
Handsworth 9 6.13x
Hartlepool 9 12.07x
Hulme 9 2.06x
Lambeth 9 0.59x
Lochee 9 61.77x
Middlesbrough 9 3.95x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 9 5.74x
Southcoates 9 9.28x
St George Hanover Square 9 2.90x
Benfieldside 8 23.18x
Chorley 8 6.81x
Croydon 8 1.68x
Grays Thurrock 8 24.72x
Halifax 8 3.12x
Preston 8 1.43x
York St George 8 58.10x
Harborne 7 3.67x
Holy Trinity 7 1.67x
Old Monkland 7 3.09x
Pendleton In Salford 7 2.81x
Troqueer 7 20.90x
Walsall Foreign 7 2.28x
Westminster St James 7 3.86x
Wigtown 7 52.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 148
Margaret 48
Elizabeth 47
Catherine 40
Jane 30
Ann 26
Bridget 24
Ellen 21
Sarah 21
Alice 13
Annie 12
Eliza 12
Julia 10
Kate 10
Emma 9
Isabella 9
Maria 7
Martha 7
Anne 6
Emily 6
Margret 6
Rebecca 6
Caroline 5
Edith 5
Hannah 5
Louisa 5
Ada 4
Agnes 4
Eleanor 4
Florence 4
Harriet 4
Laura 4
Susan 4
Amelia 3
Clara 3
Esther 3
Fanny 3
Gertrude 3
Harriett 3
Jessie 3
Johanna 3
Maggie 3
Ruth 3
Amy 2
Cathern 2
Elizth. 2
Phoebe 2
Rose 2
Sophia 2
Winifred 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 125
James 67
Thomas 63
William 60
Patrick 31
Edward 27
Michael 22
Robert 19
George 18
Richard 18
Charles 16
Joseph 16
Peter 14
Alfred 12
Martin 10
Daniel 9
Henry 9
Francis 8
Frederick 8
Hugh 8
Arthur 6
Walter 6
Andrew 5
Frank 5
Herbert 5
Samuel 4
Albert 3
Edwin 3
Ernest 3
Mathew 3
Thos. 3
Anthony 2
Bartholomew 2
Fredrick 2
Michel 2
Nicholas 2
Owen 2
Partrick 2
Sidney 2
Stephen 2
Wm. 2
Bernard 1
Christopher 1
Conn 1
Edwd. 1
Festus 1
Fred 1
Jno. 1
Jnohn. 1
Jos. 1

FAQ

Flinn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Flinn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,811 people were recorded with the Flinn surname. That placed it at #2,404 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Flinn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 782 in 2016. That gives Flinn a modern rank of #7,053.

What does the Flinn surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Floinn," meaning "descendant of Flann" (a personal name meaning "red" or "ruddy").

What does the Flinn map show?

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