Flem
From English, meaning "flame" or "flaming one".
Name Census estimates that about 39 living Americans carry the first name Flem. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Flem today is around 83 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Flem births was 1927 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Flem. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Flem is about 83 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Flems were born before 1953.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Flem. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
39
~ 1 in 8,788,573 Americans
Peak year
1927
16 babies that year
Average age
83
years old
1957 SSA rank
#2,891
Tracked since 1880
Popularity
Flem: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Flem from the 1880s through to the 1950s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 86 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Flem by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Flem during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Flems live
Origin
Meaning and history of Flem
The given name Flem has its origins in the Germanic languages, dating back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Proto-Germanic root "flēm," which means "to flee" or "to take flight." This root is also present in words like "fleam" (Old English) and "fliehen" (German), both of which mean "to flee."
In the early centuries of the Common Era, the name Flem was primarily used among the various Germanic tribes that inhabited central and northern Europe. It likely held connotations of swiftness, agility, or the ability to evade danger – traits that were highly valued in warrior cultures of the time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Flem can be found in the Annals of Fulda, a medieval chronicle that covers events from the late 8th to the early 11th century. The chronicle mentions a Frankish nobleman named Flem who played a role in the political intrigues of the Carolingian court in the 9th century.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Flem remained prevalent in various Germanic regions, particularly in what is now Germany, the Netherlands, and parts of France. Notable individuals bearing this name include Flem of Oudewater, a 13th-century Dutch knight and crusader (c. 1220 – c. 1290), and Flem von Keldermundt, a 14th-century German poet and minstrel (c. 1310 – c. 1380).
As the Renaissance dawned, the name Flem continued to be used, though less frequently than in earlier centuries. One notable figure was Flem van der Jagt, a 16th-century Flemish artist and engraver (c. 1540 – c. 1610), known for his intricate woodcuts and etchings.
In the 17th century, Flem Gwyn was a Welsh courtier and landowner (c. 1620 – c. 1688) who played a significant role in the English Civil War, serving as a loyal supporter of King Charles I. Around the same time, Flem Verhoeven (c. 1630 – c. 1695) was a Dutch painter renowned for his still-life compositions.
While the name Flem has become somewhat obscure in modern times, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of Germanic naming traditions, carrying with it echoes of a storied past and the enduring values of agility, resilience, and the ability to adapt in the face of adversity.
People
Flem + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Flem as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Flem: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Flem?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 39 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Flem going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 8,788,573 US residents.
Is Flem a common name?
We classify Flem as "Very Rare". It ranks above 50.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 244 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Flem most popular?
The single biggest year for Flem was 1927, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Flem is about 83 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Flem in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Flem a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Flem in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Flem still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Flem in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Flem can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Flem as a first name?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.