Flynn
Say it: FLIN/flɪn/
BoyMeans descendant of Flann, a name meaning "red"5 letters1 syllable
#317
in Ireland (2025)
#307 with spellings combined
13
babies in 2025
#157
best rank (2014)
403
babies since 2002
Down 120
10-year rank change
Flynn through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13 | #307 |
| 2024 | 20 | #220 |
| 2023 | 23 | #208 |
| 2022 | 26 | #195 |
| 2021 | 16 | #270 |
| 2020 | 19 | #245 |
| 2019 | 18 | #254 |
| 2018 | 21 | #242 |
| 2017 | 15 | #296 |
| 2016 | 28 | #201 |
| 2015 | 32 | #187 |
| 2014 | 42 | #157 |
| 2013 | 23 | #237 |
| 2012 | 30 | #199 |
| 2011 | 21 | #245 |
| 2010 | 14 | #301 |
| 2009 | 3 | #701 |
| 2008 | 8 | #412 |
| 2007 | 5 | #473 |
| 2006 | 11 | #282 |
| 2005 | 8 | #302 |
| 2003 | 4 | #423 |
| 2002 | 3 | #451 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Flynn mean?
Descendant of Flann, a name meaning "red"
Irish, from the surname Ó Floinn, from the old first name Flann (red, ruddy).
Say it right
FLIN
The story of Flynn
Flynn comes from the Irish surname Ó Floinn, “descendant of Flann”. Flann was an old Irish first name meaning red or ruddy. It was common in early medieval Ireland, and several kings and scholars bore it. Some families with the surname trace it to Mac Floinn, “son of Flann”, instead. Flynn is still far more common as a surname than as a first name.
The Australian-born actor Errol Flynn made the surname famous in the 1930s and 1940s, and the phrase “in like Flynn” is often linked to him.
As a first name, Flynn first appears in the CSO records in 2002. Its best year was 2014, when 42 boys were named Flynn and it reached number 157. It has been given less often since, and in 2025, 13 boys had the name. It is used in similar numbers in Northern Ireland, where 12 boys were named Flynn in 2025.
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Sources
- Wiktionary: Flynn (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Flynn
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Flynn | 13 | 403 |
In Northern Ireland
#175 in 2025 with 12 babies. Best rank #150 (2015); 238 babies since 2003.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.