NameCensus.

UK surname

Fynn

A surname originating from Irish, meaning "fair" or "white".

In the 1881 census there were 190 people recorded with the Fynn surname, ranking it #13,270 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 408, ranked #11,711, up from #13,270 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Burslem. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds, Milton Keynes and Manchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fynn is 420 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 114.7%.

1881 census count

190

Ranked #13,270

Modern count

408

2016, ranked #11,711

Peak year

2013

420 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fynn had 190 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,270 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 408 in 2016, ranked #11,711.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 307 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Fynn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fynn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fynn 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 103 #16,835
1861 historical 109 #19,693
1881 historical 190 #13,270
1891 historical 209 #14,459
1901 historical 249 #13,172
1911 historical 307 #11,257
1997 modern 380 #11,418
1998 modern 410 #11,143
1999 modern 408 #11,288
2000 modern 371 #12,052
2001 modern 357 #12,205
2002 modern 371 #12,096
2003 modern 369 #11,941
2004 modern 375 #11,820
2005 modern 365 #11,985
2006 modern 369 #11,965
2007 modern 372 #12,032
2008 modern 394 #11,622
2009 modern 407 #11,556
2010 modern 408 #11,804
2011 modern 398 #11,907
2012 modern 386 #12,037
2013 modern 420 #11,489
2014 modern 419 #11,592
2015 modern 410 #11,686
2016 modern 408 #11,711

Geography

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Where Fynns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Burslem and Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leeds, Milton Keynes, Manchester, Bradford and Cardiff. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Burslem Staffordshire
5 Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 028 Leeds
2 Milton Keynes 018 Milton Keynes
3 Manchester 011 Manchester
4 Bradford 061 Bradford
5 Cardiff 016 Cardiff

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fynn

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fynn

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Fynn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Fynn household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Fynn 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

Fynn 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

Fynn falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Fynn

The surname FYNN is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "fionn" which means "fair" or "white". It is believed to have originated in the 12th century as a descriptive name for someone with fair hair or a pale complexion.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Irish annals and manuscripts. One notable example is the 14th century Book of Lecan, which mentions a "Fynn Ua Cuirrin" as a chieftain of the Ui Cuirrin clan from County Cavan.

In the 16th century, the name FYNN was particularly prevalent in County Clare and County Limerick, with several prominent families bearing the name. One such family was the Fynns of Ballyshanny, who were landowners in County Clare during the Tudor period.

The FYNN surname is also associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Fynnevara (meaning "the summit of the white man") in County Clare, and Fynns Cross, a townland in County Limerick.

Some notable individuals with the surname FYNN throughout history include:

1. Sir John Fynn (1515-1587), an English soldier and explorer who served in Ireland and is credited with the first English settlement in present-day South Carolina.

2. Robert Fynn (c. 1594-1666), an English Puritan minister and author who served as a chaplain in the Parliamentarian army during the English Civil War.

3. Edmunde Fynn (c. 1634-1701), an Irish Catholic landowner and member of the Irish Parliament in the late 17th century.

4. Patrick Fynn (1752-1832), an Irish-born soldier who fought for the British during the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Nova Scotia.

5. Thomas Fynn (1854-1919), an Irish-born politician who served as a member of the New Zealand Parliament for the Lyttelton electorate from 1902 to 1908.

As the surname spread beyond Ireland, various spelling variations emerged, including Finn, Fyn, and Fynne, reflecting regional pronunciation and orthographic differences.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fynn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fynn 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. Middlesex leads with 35 Fynns recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.94x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 35 1.94x
Yorkshire 32 1.79x
Lancashire 29 1.35x
Gloucestershire 17 4.80x
Cheshire 14 3.51x
Surrey 14 1.59x
Cambridgeshire 13 11.37x
Kent 7 1.14x
Essex 5 1.40x
Bedfordshire 4 4.28x
Devon 4 1.06x
Staffordshire 4 0.66x
Glamorgan 3 0.95x
Suffolk 2 0.91x
Huntingdonshire 1 2.79x
Somerset 1 0.34x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 22 Fynns recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.79x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 22 21.79x
Monks Coppenhall 13 86.49x
St Pancras London 8 5.51x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 7 217.39x
Burtonwood 7 886.08x
Gillingham 7 55.16x
St Andrewthe Less 7 53.60x
Wigan 7 23.40x
Bristol Christchurch 6 1176.47x
Hammersmith London 6 13.50x
Newington 6 9.00x
St George Bloomsbury 6 57.97x
Westminster St Margaret 6 68.97x
Bedford St Peter 4 164.61x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 4 12.00x
Everton 4 5.86x
Exeter St David 4 124.61x
Headingley Cum Burley 4 34.75x
Limehouse London 4 20.19x
Warrington 4 15.76x
Battersea 3 4.52x
Burslem 3 17.19x
Grantchester 3 422.54x
Horndon On Hill 3 810.81x
Horton In Bradford 3 10.75x
Kirkdale 3 8.33x
St Andrewthe Great 3 202.70x
Bolton In Bradford 2 173.91x
Camberwell 2 1.74x
Lambeth 2 1.27x
Little Cornard 2 833.33x
Salford 2 3.18x
South Weald 2 65.57x
St George Hanover Square 2 6.29x
Brislington 1 185.19x
Cardiff St Mary 1 5.78x
Church Coppenhall 1 56.18x
Clapham 1 4.43x
Gate Fulford 1 23.92x
Islington London 1 0.57x
Llandaff 1 9.57x
Manchester 1 1.04x
Newchurch 1 5.71x
Paddington London 1 1.51x
Ratcliffe London 1 10.03x
St Neots 1 51.28x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 1.55x
Ystradyfodwg 1 3.63x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 14
William 11
James 9
Robert 7
Thomas 6
George 4
Arthur 3
Harry 3
Alfred 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Henry 2
Patrick 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Bernard 1
Dan 1
Edwin 1
Elijah 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fredrick 1
Herbert 1
Michael 1
Reginald 1
Richard 1
Richd.Hy. 1
Saml. 1
Samuel 1
Willim. 1

FAQ

Fynn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fynn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 190 people were recorded with the Fynn surname. That placed it at #13,270 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fynn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 408 in 2016. That gives Fynn a modern rank of #11,711.

What does the Fynn surname mean?

A surname originating from Irish, meaning "fair" or "white".

What does the Fynn map show?

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