Explore the Family Name Lynn
The meaning of Lynn
1. Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Fhloinn and Ó Fhloinn (see Flynn). 2. Scottish: variant of Lyne 3. 3. English: habitational name from any of several places so called in Norfolk, in particular King’s Lynn, an important center of the medieval wool trade. The placename is probably from an Old Welsh word cognate with Gaelic linn ‘pool, stream’. 4. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 林, probably based on its Mandarin pronunciation. See Lin 1.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lynn in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Lynn experienced a slight drop between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Lynn ranked as the 847th most popular surname, with a count of 37,125 reported instances. By 2010, although the total count had increased to 37,644, its rank fell to 924th. This indicates a decline in popularity by 9.09 percent, despite a 1.4 percent increase in the number of people with this surname. Similarly, the proportion of Lynns per 100,000 people also decreased by 7.27 percent from 13.76 in 2000 to 12.76 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #847 | #924 | -9.09% |
| Count | 37,125 | 37,644 | 1.4% |
| Proportion per 100k | 13.76 | 12.76 | -7.27% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lynn
Looking at the ethnic identity associated with the surname Lynn, again based on the Decennial U.S. Census, there were notable shifts between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Lynns identifying as White decreased slightly from 86.49 percent to 84.61 percent. Meanwhile, the percentages of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic saw significant increases, rising by 47.92 percent and 48.81 percent respectively. The proportion of Lynns identifying as Black rose marginally by 2.39 percent, and those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native increased by 4.41 percent. Lastly, an increase of 26.43 percent was observed in the proportion of Lynns reporting two or more races.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.49% | 84.61% | -2.17% |
| Black | 8.78% | 8.99% | 2.39% |
| Hispanic | 1.68% | 2.5% | 48.81% |
| Two or More Races | 1.4% | 1.77% | 26.43% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.96% | 1.42% | 47.92% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.68% | 0.71% | 4.41% |
Lynn 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 Lynn is British & Irish, which comprises 50.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.9%) and Eastern European (4.9%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 50.5% |
| French & German | 22.9% |
| Eastern European | 4.9% |
| Other | 21.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Lynn
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 Lynn have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 82.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 82.20% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 82.10% |
What Lynn 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 Lynn is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-M467 and R-S660, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Edwards, Hughes, Higgins, Linn, Ford, Shaw, Price, Phillips, Lloyd, Dawson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lynn 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 Lynn 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.
"Lynn" Surname 43.0%
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.
"Lynn" Surname 24.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Lynn" Surname 22.9%
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.
"Lynn" Surname 20.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Lynn?
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 Lynn are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition