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At a Glance: Name: Flynn – Meaning: Descendant of Flann; Flann is an old Irish byname meaning "red" or "ruddy," likely describing hair color or complexion. – Origin: Irish – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: FLIN
Flynn is an Irish name, pronounced FLIN, built from Ó Floinn — literally "descendant of Flann," an old Irish byname for "red" or "ruddy" that likely described hair color or complexion. You'll sometimes see it defined as "son of the red-haired one" or "son of Flann," but that's off: the O- prefix means "descendant" or "grandson of," not "son of" — an actual "son of Flann" would be Mac Floinn. On MM's list it's a modern, globally minded pick.
Meaning & Origin of Flynn
Meaning: Descendant of flann; flann is an old irish byname meaning "red" or "ruddy," likely describing hair color or complexion..
Origin: Irish.
A common claim: Often glossed as "son of the red-haired one" or "son of Flann." Actually: Flynn doesn't literally mean "son of" — the O- prefix in O Floinn means "descendant/grandson of"; "son of Flann" would actually be rendered Mac Floinn.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Flynn
Phonetic: FLIN IPA: /ˈflɪn/
Popularity of Flynn
Flynn peaked at #653 in 2021 with 418 babies given the name, then eased to #737 in 2024 with 351 — a gentle dip rather than a steep drop.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1913–2024.
Make Flynn Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Flynn, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Flynn mean?
Descendant of flann; flann is an old irish byname meaning “red” or “ruddy,” likely describing hair color or complexion.. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Flynn)
How do you pronounce Flynn?
Flynn is pronounced FLIN (IPA: /ˈflɪn/).
Is Flynn a popular name right now?
Flynn is near its all-time peak (#653 in 2021), ranked #737 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1913–2024.)
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