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Flynn Family History

Flynn Surname Meaning

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Floinn ‘descendant of Flann’ a byname meaning ‘red(dish) ruddy’. There were families of this name in various parts of Ireland.

This name has also been Anglicized as Lindsay. English: from Middle English Flin representing the Old Norse male personal name Fleinn.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Flynn family from?

You can see how Flynn families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Flynn family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Flynn families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 72 Flynn families living in New York. This was about 41% of all the recorded Flynn's in USA. New York had the highest population of Flynn families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Flynn surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Flynn ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Flynn. 12% of Flynn men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Flynn women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Flynn were Clerk and Housewife.

View Census Data for Flynn | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    12%
  • Farmer
    7%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Clerk
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    7%
  • Clerk
    7%
  • Teacher
    7%
  • Housewife
    5%

What Flynn family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 483,000 census records available for the last name Flynn. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Flynn census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Flynn

Passenger Lists

There are 103,000 immigration records available for the last name Flynn. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Flynn immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 92,000 military records available for the last name Flynn. For the veterans among your Flynn ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Flynn military records

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