Explore the Family Name Flint
The meaning of Flint
1. English and German: topographic name for someone who lived near a significant outcrop of flint (from Old and Middle English, Low German flint), or a nickname for a hard-hearted or physically tough individual, metaphorically as hard as flint. 2. Welsh: habitational name from Flint in Clwyd, which gave its name to the old county of Flintshire. 3. Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from German Flinte ‘shotgun’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Flint in the United States?
The surname "Flint" saw a slight drop in popularity according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, Flint was ranked 2268th and by 2010 it had shifted to 2399th position, marking a decrease of 5.78%. However, despite the drop in ranking, the actual count of people with the name increased from 14683 in 2000 to 15123 in 2010, showing an increase of 3%. The proportion per 100k people also declined slightly from 5.44 in 2000 to 5.13 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,268 | #2,399 | -5.78% |
| Count | 14,683 | 15,123 | 3% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.44 | 5.13 | -5.7% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Flint
In terms of ethnic distribution, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority of individuals with "Flint" as their surname identify as White, although this percentage decreased from 86.88% in 2000 to 85.21% in 2010. During the same period, there were notable increases in the Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander groups who carry this surname, with increases of 64.24% and 52.5%, respectively. The number of people identifying as two or more races also went up by 31.21%. Meanwhile, the Black population bearing the Flint surname experienced a marginal rise of 0.21%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native group saw a modest increase of 5%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.88% | 85.21% | -1.92% |
| Black | 9.4% | 9.42% | 0.21% |
| Hispanic | 1.51% | 2.48% | 64.24% |
| Two or More Races | 1.41% | 1.85% | 31.21% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.4% | 0.61% | 52.5% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.4% | 0.42% | 5% |
Flint ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Flint is British & Irish, which comprises 51.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.6%) and Scandinavian (5.2%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.9% |
| French & German | 25.6% |
| Scandinavian | 5.2% |
| Other | 17.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Flint
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Flint have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 87.30% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 87.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.30% |
What Flint haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Flint is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z19 and I-L1198, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Armstrong, Chamberlain, Baer, Winn, Wynn, Selby, O'Neal, Ryan, Noble, Grimm.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Flint surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Flint have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Flint" Surname 36.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Flint" Surname 31.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Flint" Surname 21.7%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Flint" Surname 18.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Flint?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Flint are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition