2000
#237
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114,448
First available Census row
Per 100,000 42.43
Common Last name
Lynch
An English surname referring to a person living near a hill, ridge, or cliff.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130,738 Americans carry the last name Lynch. That puts it at #269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 38.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,622 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lynch surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Lynch with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
131K
1 in 2,622
Census rank
#269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
38.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114,010 bearers of the surname Lynch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 38.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lynch, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Black (11.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lynch
The surname Lynch is an anglicized version of the Old Gaelic name Ó Loingsigh, which originated in Ireland. The name derives from the Irish word "loingseach," meaning a naval person or mariner. This suggests that the original bearers of this surname may have been involved in maritime activities or lived near the coast.
The Lynch surname first appeared in records dating back to the 12th century in County Galway, Ireland. One of the earliest documented references to the name is found in the Annals of Lough Cé, which mentions a member of the Lynch family named Tomaltach Ó Loingsigh in 1171.
During the Norman invasion of Ireland in the late 12th century, the Lynch family played a significant role in the defense of their territory in County Galway. They established themselves as a prominent family in the town of Galway and held positions of influence within the local government.
In the 14th century, the Lynch family gained notoriety through the legend of the Lynch Stone, which is associated with the story of James Lynch Fitzstephen, the Mayor of Galway in 1493. According to the legend, he hanged his own son for murder, demonstrating his commitment to upholding the law.
Notable individuals with the Lynch surname include:
1. Dominick Lynch (c. 1292 - c. 1370), a prominent merchant and landowner in Galway.
2. Sir Henry Lynch-Blosse (1604 - 1691), an English soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament.
3. Anne Lynch Botta (1815 - 1891), an American writer and poet.
4. Thomas Tate Tobin Lynch (1844 - 1898), an Australian politician and Premier of Queensland.
5. David Lynch (born 1946), an American filmmaker, painter, and visual artist known for his surrealist works such as "Blue Velvet" and "Twin Peaks."
As the Lynch family spread throughout Ireland and later to other parts of the world, variations in the spelling of the surname emerged, including Linch, Lyntch, and Lynche.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lynch
Among Census respondents with the surname Lynch, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Black (11.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Lynch bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Lynch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.5% · 90,639
- Black or African American11.6% · 13,219
- Two or more races3.6% · 4,138
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4,050
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1,093
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 871
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lynch
Lynch appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117,708
+3,260 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 39.90
Rank movement Down 22 places
2020
#269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114,010
-3,698 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 38.14
Rank movement Down 10 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #237 | 114,448 | 42.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #259 | 117,708 | 39.90 | +3,260 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 22 places |
| 2020 | #269 | 114,010 | 38.14 | -3,698 bearers (-3.1%) | Down 10 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Lynch surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #259 | #269 | -3.9% |
| Count | 117,708 | 114,010 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 39.90 | 38.14 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lynch bearers went from 117,708 to 114,010 (-3.1% change). The surname moved down 10 positions in the national ranking, going from #259 to #269.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lynch
FAQ
Lynch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lynch?
Name Census estimates that about 130,738 living Americans carry the surname Lynch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,622 residents.
How common is Lynch?
Lynch ranks #269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 38.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 38 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 114,010 people with the surname Lynch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130,738), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 38.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 38.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 38 of them to have the surname Lynch.
Has Lynch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lynch went from 117,708 recorded bearers to 114,010. That is a decrease of 3,698 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #259 to #269.
What does the Census say about the background of Lynch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lynch, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Black (11.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lynch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.5% (90,639 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lynch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.5%), Black (11.6%), Two or More Races (3.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Lynch (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Lynch mean?
An English surname referring to a person living near a hill, ridge, or cliff. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Lynch (38.14 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Lynch?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.