2000
#38,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 546
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.20
Very Rare Last name
Lynskey
A surname derived from the Middle English word "lins", meaning to remove husks from seeds or grains.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 679 Americans carry the last name Lynskey. That puts it at #40,000 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 504,793 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lynskey 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 Lynskey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
679
1 in 504,793
Census rank
#40,000
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
592
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 592 bearers of the surname Lynskey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 40000th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lynskey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lynskey
The surname Lynskey originates from Ireland and is derived from the old Gaelic name Ó Loinsigh, meaning "descendant of Loinsigh." The name Loinsigh itself comes from the old Gaelic word "loingseach," meaning "mariner" or "seafarer." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been associated with maritime or seafaring activities.
The surname Lynskey is particularly prevalent in counties Mayo and Sligo in the western part of Ireland. It is believed to have originated in the region of Tireragh, which encompasses parts of these two counties. The first recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Lynskey was Conor Lynskey, a notable chieftain who lived in the 15th century. He is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters as having participated in several conflicts and battles during that time period.
In the 16th century, there are records of a Richard Lynskey, who was involved in the Plantation of Ulster, a significant event in Irish history where English and Scottish settlers were granted lands previously owned by Irish chieftains.
Another notable figure was James Lynskey, born in 1809, who was a prominent Irish nationalist and member of the Young Ireland movement. He played an active role in the Irish Rebellion of 1848 and was later imprisoned for his involvement.
In the 19th century, Patrick Lynskey (1829-1898) was a notable Irish Catholic priest who served as the Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise in Ireland. He was known for his dedication to education and his efforts to establish schools in his diocese.
The Lynskey surname also has notable connections to the United States. One prominent individual was Michael Lynskey (1900-1993), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Mansfield Tire and Rubber Company in Ohio. He was also involved in various charitable endeavors and supported educational institutions.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the Lynskey surname throughout history, reflecting its rich Irish heritage and the diverse paths its bearers have taken across different regions and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lynskey
Among Census respondents with the surname Lynskey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Lynskey 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 Lynskey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 541
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 27
- Two or more races2.4% · 14
- Black or African American0.8% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lynskey
Lynskey 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
#37,229
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 599
+53 bearers (+9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Up 912 places
2020
#40,000
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 592
-7 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Down 2,771 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #38,141 | 546 | 0.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #37,229 | 599 | 0.20 | +53 bearers (+9.7%) | Up 912 places |
| 2020 | #40,000 | 592 | 0.20 | -7 bearers (-1.2%) | Down 2,771 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 Lynskey 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 | #37,229 | #40,000 | -7.4% |
| Count | 599 | 592 | -1.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.20 | 0.20 | -1.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lynskey bearers went from 599 to 592 (-1.2% change). The surname moved down 2,771 positions in the national ranking, going from #37,229 to #40,000.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lynskey
FAQ
Lynskey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lynskey?
Name Census estimates that about 679 living Americans carry the surname Lynskey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 504,793 residents.
How common is Lynskey?
Lynskey ranks #40,000 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 592 people with the surname Lynskey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (679), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Lynskey.
Has Lynskey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lynskey went from 599 recorded bearers to 592. That is a decrease of 7 (-1.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #37,229 to #40,000.
What does the Census say about the background of Lynskey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lynskey, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Lynskey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (541 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lynskey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (4.6%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Lynskey (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 Lynskey mean?
A surname derived from the Middle English word "lins", meaning to remove husks from seeds or grains. 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 Lynskey (0.20 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 common is the surname Lynskey?
Find out how many people have the last name Lynskey on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.