# Flynn (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/flynn/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname from Irish.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Irish |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 63,400 |
| US rank (2010) | 534 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 4,870 people |
| Change since 2000 | +2.7% (61,747 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /flɪn/, 1 syllable |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

Anglicized from Irish Ó Floinn, "descendant of Flann (red)".

## Who carries it

Share of people named Flynn in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 92% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 3.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.3% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
| Two or more races | 1.5% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Flynn in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.

## People named Flynn

- Errol Flynn, Australian actor (1909–1959)
- Gillian Flynn, American author and critic
- Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, American politician (1890-1964)
- Brandon Flynn, American actor
- Neil Flynn, American actor and comedian (born 1960)
- Robb Flynn, American guitarist and vocalist
- Johnny Flynn, British actor, singer
- Quinton Flynn, American voice actor
- Vince Flynn, American writer of fiction (1966-2013)
- Matt Flynn, American drummer
- Jonny Flynn, American basketball player (born 1989)
- John Flynn, American film director and screenwriter (1932–2007)

and 21 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Flinn, Fallon, Fullen, Fallin, Felan, Flom, Fillion, Flamm, Fallen, Fellin.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.