Flynn
An Irish surname from Ó Floinn, meaning “descendant of Flann” or “the ruddy/red-haired one.”
The #534 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 4,870 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Flynn is the Anglicized form of Irish Ó Floinn, with the prefix Ó meaning “descendant of.” The core name comes from Flann, an old Irish personal name meaning “red” or “ruddy,” often understood as a nickname for someone with a reddish complexion or hair. In older Irish spelling, the surname could appear in forms such as O’Flynn or O’Flinn, and related spellings were recorded by surname scholars in different dialect areas.
History
The name is strongly associated with Ireland and is especially common in Munster and other parts of the country, though it is also found more widely through migration. Irish genealogical and census materials from the late 19th and early 20th centuries show Flynn as a substantial surname in several provinces. English-language sources also record it alongside related Irish forms such as O’Flinn and variants influenced by local pronunciation.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The element Flann appears in a number of old Irish personal names, so Flynn belongs to a broad family of surnames built from an ancient color-word.
From the historical record
“Me J til la. 314. O'Tliimi. 179. FLYNN. Fleens. 72. 587 FARRER. Ferrar. Ferrer. Ferrers. Hergusson. 364. Vargis. 78.”
— Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland