NameCensus.

UK surname

Flounders

A locative surname derived from a place with flounder fish.

In the 1881 census there were 86 people recorded with the Flounders surname, ranking it #21,449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 416, ranked #11,533, up from #21,449 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Newcastle St Andrew, Auckland St Andrew and Hart. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hartlepool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Flounders is 459 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 383.7%.

1881 census count

86

Ranked #21,449

Modern count

416

2016, ranked #11,533

Peak year

2010

459 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Flounders had 86 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,449 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 416 in 2016, ranked #11,533.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 185 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Flounders surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Flounders surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Flounders 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 65 #21,747
1861 historical 65 #25,618
1881 historical 86 #21,449
1891 historical 140 #19,193
1901 historical 152 #17,916
1911 historical 185 #15,686
1997 modern 391 #11,196
1998 modern 398 #11,377
1999 modern 399 #11,463
2000 modern 388 #11,664
2001 modern 395 #11,324
2002 modern 399 #11,460
2003 modern 387 #11,523
2004 modern 394 #11,417
2005 modern 397 #11,250
2006 modern 409 #11,032
2007 modern 409 #11,182
2008 modern 433 #10,776
2009 modern 446 #10,755
2010 modern 459 #10,739
2011 modern 456 #10,676
2012 modern 440 #10,849
2013 modern 440 #11,031
2014 modern 433 #11,262
2015 modern 429 #11,252
2016 modern 416 #11,533

Geography

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Where Flounders' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Newcastle St Andrew, Auckland St Andrew, Hart, Rudby-in-Cleveland and Billingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hartlepool. 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 Newcastle St Andrew Northumberland
2 Auckland St Andrew Durham
3 Hart Durham
4 Rudby-in-Cleveland Yorkshire, North Riding
5 Billingham Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hartlepool 002 Hartlepool
2 Hartlepool 001 Hartlepool
3 Hartlepool 014 Hartlepool
4 Hartlepool 007 Hartlepool
5 Hartlepool 012 Hartlepool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Flounders

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Flounders

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Flounders is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Flounders is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Flounders 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 Flounders is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Flounders

The surname FLOUNDERS is of English origin, rooted in the medieval era. It is a locational name derived from the Old English word "flundrian," which means "to flounder" or "to stumble." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place where the ground was marshy or uneven, causing people to flounder or stumble.

Historically, the FLOUNDERS name can be traced back to the county of Essex in the eastern region of England. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Essex from the year 1195, where a certain Walter Flundre is mentioned.

In the 13th century, the name was also found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire, where it was spelled as "Flundres." This variation in spelling was common during that time due to the lack of standardized orthography.

During the 14th century, the FLOUNDERS name appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, where it was recorded as "Floundres." This suggests that the name had spread to different regions of England by that period.

One notable individual bearing the FLOUNDERS surname was John Flounders (c. 1555-1615), an English clergyman and author from Yorkshire. He is known for his work titled "A Mirror for Magistrates," published in 1587.

Another historical figure was Robert Flounders (1695-1768), a British architect and surveyor who was responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London during the 18th century.

In the 19th century, William Flounders (1815-1892) was a prominent English businessman and philanthropist from Newcastle upon Tyne. He made significant contributions to the development of the city and was known for his charitable endeavors.

Additionally, the FLOUNDERS name can be found in various place names throughout England, such as Flounders Hill in Hertfordshire and Flounders Bridge in Cumbria, further reinforcing its locational origins.

Another noteworthy individual was Elizabeth Flounders (1862-1945), an English suffragette and activist who campaigned for women's rights and played a significant role in the women's suffrage movement in the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Flounders families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Flounders 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 50 Flounders' recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.02x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 50 6.02x
Northumberland 15 12.02x
Durham 14 5.61x
Lancashire 5 0.50x
Lanarkshire 1 0.37x
Midlothian 1 0.89x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Scarborough in Yorkshire leads with 35 Flounders' recorded in 1881 and an index of 463.58x.

Place Total Index
Scarborough 35 463.58x
Newcastle On Tyne St 14 216.38x
Evenwood Barony 8 941.18x
Falsgrave 6 491.80x
Throston 6 1250.00x
Liverpool 5 8.27x
Middlesbrough 5 46.21x
Stokesley 2 384.62x
Colinton 1 80.00x
Govan 1 1.49x
Hutton Rudby 1 400.00x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 1 13.42x
Wold Newton 1 1111.11x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 5
Annie 3
Hannah 3
Margt. 3
Mary 3
Agnes 2
Rachael 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Alley 1
Clara 1
Dorothy 1
Eleanor 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Emma 1
Grace 1
Harriett 1
Jessie 1
Louisa 1
Lydia 1
Maggie 1
Maria 1
Marianne 1
S. 1
Susan 1
Thompson 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 8
John 7
William 6
George 3
Harry 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Albert 1
Alonza 1
Andrew 1
Charles 1
Frederick 1
Henry 1
James 1
Jas. 1
Johnson 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Flounders surname: questions and answers

How common was the Flounders surname in 1881?

In 1881, 86 people were recorded with the Flounders surname. That placed it at #21,449 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Flounders surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 416 in 2016. That gives Flounders a modern rank of #11,533.

What does the Flounders surname mean?

A locative surname derived from a place with flounder fish.

What does the Flounders map show?

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