NameCensus.

UK surname

Flintoff

A habitational surname derived from a location with an abundance of flint.

In the 1881 census there were 319 people recorded with the Flintoff surname, ranking it #9,326 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 332, ranked #13,706, down from #9,326 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Darlington, Preston and Kirk Levington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, Redcar and Cleveland and Nottingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Flintoff is 425 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.1%.

1881 census count

319

Ranked #9,326

Modern count

332

2016, ranked #13,706

Peak year

1901

425 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Flintoff had 319 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,326 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 332 in 2016, ranked #13,706.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 425 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Flintoff surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Flintoff surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Flintoff 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 290 #7,844
1861 historical 322 #7,911
1881 historical 319 #9,326
1891 historical 311 #10,781
1901 historical 425 #9,081
1911 historical 407 #9,176
1997 modern 342 #12,379
1998 modern 347 #12,607
1999 modern 356 #12,456
2000 modern 338 #12,877
2001 modern 331 #12,869
2002 modern 342 #12,837
2003 modern 330 #12,971
2004 modern 326 #13,122
2005 modern 323 #13,133
2006 modern 314 #13,474
2007 modern 335 #13,001
2008 modern 337 #13,068
2009 modern 335 #13,381
2010 modern 353 #13,156
2011 modern 340 #13,375
2012 modern 337 #13,345
2013 modern 330 #13,777
2014 modern 339 #13,581
2015 modern 341 #13,425
2016 modern 332 #13,706

Geography

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Where Flintoffs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Darlington, Preston, Kirk Levington, Goulsby and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, Redcar and Cleveland, Nottingham and Hambleton. 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 Darlington Durham
2 Preston Lancashire
3 Kirk Levington Durham
4 Goulsby Lincolnshire
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 025 Wakefield
2 Redcar and Cleveland 007 Redcar and Cleveland
3 Nottingham 004 Nottingham
4 Hambleton 005 Hambleton
5 Wakefield 029 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Flintoff

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Flintoff

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Flintoff 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

Flintoff 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

Flintoff falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Flintoff is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Flintoff

The surname FLINTOFF originated in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "flint" meaning a type of hard stone, and "toft" meaning a homestead or piece of land. This suggests that the name referred to someone who lived near a plot of land with flint stones.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where it appears as "Flintofte". The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also mention a "Richard de Flyntoft" in Norfolk. These early spellings highlight the variation in how the name was written at the time.

The FLINTOFF surname is believed to have originated in the county of Lancashire, particularly in the areas around Blackburn and Burnley. There are records of families with this name living in these regions from the 13th century onwards.

In the 14th century, the name is mentioned in the Wills and Inventories of the Archdeaconry of Richmond, which includes references to individuals such as "John Flyntoff" (1391) and "Johanna Flyntoff" (1397).

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the FLINTOFF name appeared in various parish registers and records across Lancashire. Notable examples include John Flintoff (born c. 1570) from Colne, and Richard Flintoff (born c. 1610) from Burnley.

One of the earliest well-known individuals with this surname was Sir Thomas Flintoff (c. 1570-1646), a Member of Parliament for Preston during the English Civil War. He was a staunch Royalist and supported King Charles I.

Another notable figure was William Flintoff (1711-1798), a renowned clockmaker from Warrington, whose clocks and watches were highly sought after in the 18th century.

In more recent history, Andrew Flintoff (born 1977) is a former English cricketer who played for the national team from 1998 to 2009. He was a highly successful all-rounder and was part of the England team that won the Ashes series in 2005 and 2009.

While the FLINTOFF surname is most commonly found in Lancashire, it has also spread to other parts of England, as well as countries like the United States and Australia due to emigration.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Flintoff families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Flintoff 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. Yorkshire leads with 136 Flintoffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.40x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 136 4.40x
Lancashire 78 2.11x
Durham 40 4.31x
Middlesex 14 0.45x
Lincolnshire 12 2.40x
Northumberland 12 2.58x
Derbyshire 6 1.23x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.95x
Staffordshire 3 0.28x
Surrey 3 0.20x
Warwickshire 3 0.38x
Gloucestershire 2 0.33x
Hampshire 2 0.31x
Midlothian 2 0.48x
Berkshire 1 0.43x
Herefordshire 1 0.78x
Worcestershire 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Preston in Lancashire leads with 42 Flintoffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.38x.

Place Total Index
Preston 42 42.38x
Kirkleavington 15 6818.18x
Hipperholme Cum 12 88.30x
Castle Leavington 10 20000.00x
Nunthorpe 9 5000.00x
Ormesby 9 108.30x
Bishopwearmouth 8 10.04x
Carlton Miniott 8 1951.22x
Darlington 8 22.32x
Gateshead 8 11.51x
Great Bolton 8 16.31x
Scorton 8 1818.18x
Pendleton In Salford 7 15.86x
St Marylebone London 7 4.20x
Hagworthingham 6 1153.85x
Heanor 6 82.08x
Horton In Bradford 6 12.42x
Osmotherley 6 612.24x
Alnwick 5 62.66x
Blackburn 5 5.07x
Broughton In Salford 5 14.76x
Dilworth 5 220.26x
Guisbrough 5 73.96x
Lesbury 5 485.44x
St Giles 5 86.21x
Stockton On Tees 5 11.17x
Kirkby In Ashfield 4 88.89x
Middlesbrough 4 9.93x
Northallerton 4 101.27x
Thimbleby 4 3636.36x
Thirsk 4 112.04x
Battersea 3 2.61x
Goulsbey 3 1111.11x
Little Bolton 3 6.30x
Maltby In Middlesbrough 3 2500.00x
Nether Silton 3 1578.95x
Pickton 3 2500.00x
Shildon 3 40.21x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 2 18.90x
Canwick 2 769.23x
Carlton In Stokesley 2 740.74x
Edgbaston 2 8.19x
Edinburgh St Georges 2 23.04x
Hornby In Northallerton 2 714.29x
Newby In Stokesley 2 1666.67x
Newcastle On Tyne St 2 8.31x
Southampton All Sts 2 18.21x
St George In East London 2 6.81x
St Martin In Fields 2 10.70x
Westbury On Trym 2 9.64x
Woodplumpton 2 151.52x
Cheadle 1 19.76x
Crathorne 1 370.37x
Donington On Bain 1 196.08x
Edmonton 1 3.98x
Fryton 1 1000.00x
Hammersmith London 1 1.30x
Holy Trinity 1 1.34x
Hungerford 1 31.55x
Husthwaite 1 212.77x
Ilkley 1 19.76x
Kington 1 31.55x
Leamington Priors 1 5.16x
Lichfield St Mary 1 32.89x
Limehouse London 1 2.92x
Marske In Guisbrough 1 18.21x
Marton In Middlesbrough 1 88.50x
Raskelf 1 196.08x
Scarborough 1 3.56x
Seaton Carew 1 53.48x
Sheffield 1 1.02x
Shelsley Beauchamp 1 322.58x
Stokesley 1 51.81x
Tamworth 1 17.76x
Wakefield 1 4.21x
Whittingham 1 61.35x
Whitworth 1 14.71x
York Holy Trinity 1 37.45x
York St Giles In 1 34.25x
York St Maurice 1 17.18x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 42
Jane 19
Ann 12
Elizabeth 12
Alice 8
Sarah 8
Eliza 7
Margaret 5
Annie 4
Emily 4
Ellen 3
Frances 3
Nancy 3
Charlotte 2
Dorothy 2
Edith 2
Grace 2
Hannah 2
Isabella 2
Lavinia 2
Susan 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Cordelia 1
Dinah 1
Eliz. 1
Emma 1
Ester 1
Hephizibah 1
Isabel 1
J. 1
Laura 1
Lettie 1
Lily 1
Lizzie 1
Maissie 1
Margt. 1
Margt.Edith 1
Maria 1
Mariah 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Minnie 1
Sila 1
Sobina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 28
John 19
Thomas 18
Richard 12
Charles 6
George 6
James 5
Christopher 4
Henry 4
Robert 4
Edward 3
Francis 3
Frederick 3
Alfred 2
Anthony 2
Joseph 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Ben 1
Bransby 1
Hanson 1
J. 1
Jno. 1
Jno.Thos. 1
Jos. 1
Mathew 1
Owen 1
Ralph 1
Reginald 1
Reuben 1
Robt. 1
Smith 1
Stott 1
Theodore 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Flintoff surname: questions and answers

How common was the Flintoff surname in 1881?

In 1881, 319 people were recorded with the Flintoff surname. That placed it at #9,326 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Flintoff surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 332 in 2016. That gives Flintoff a modern rank of #13,706.

What does the Flintoff surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a location with an abundance of flint.

What does the Flintoff map show?

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