FLINT
The surname Flint is of English origin and has been associated with the British Isles for many centuries. It derives from the Old English word flint, a hard, sedimentary rock that was historically important for the manufacture of tools and weapons.
There are several plausible explanations for how the name entered use as a family surname. One possibility is that it was a topographical surname, applied to those who resided near a conspicuous outcrop of flint rock. Another explanation is that it began as a nickname, describing a person who possessed a “flinty” character – tough, resilient or hard-hearted. The latter usage is documented as early as the Domesday Book of 1086, where a personal name Flint is recorded in Suffolk.
Later evidence suggests a locational origin, with the surname arising from the town of Flint in Clwyd, Wales. This town gave its name to the former county known as the “Old County of Flints”. As was common with locational surnames, the designation was often adopted by a landowner or a former resident who had moved elsewhere, who was thereafter identified by the name of their birthplace.
Historical records confirm the antiquity of the surname. The earliest known spelling appears in the Records of Bec Abbey in Oxfordshire, where a John Flint is mentioned in 1248 during the reign of King Henry, the Frenchman (1216‑1272). In the early 17th century, a Thomas Flint is listed as living in the Virginia colony known as “Burke Row” in February 1623, illustrating the name’s extension beyond the British Isles.
Overall, the surname Flint demonstrates the typical patterns of English family names, deriving from natural features, occupational associations and place-based origins. Its endurance across centuries and continents is a testament to the enduring legacy of these early naming practices within British heritage.
Typical given names associated with the Flint surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Anne
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Julie
- Karen
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Flint in...
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There are approximately 10,230 people named Flint in the UK. That makes it the 911th most common surname in Britain. Around 157 in a million people in Britain are named Flint.
Surname type: Nickname
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Flint
- Keith Flint - Dancer and vocalist (1969 to 2019)
- Caroline Flint - Politician
- Aden Flint - Football player
- Rachael Heyhoe Flint, Baroness Heyhoe Flint - Female cricketer and life peer (1939 to 2017)
- William Russell Flint - Scottish artist and illustrator (1880 to 1969)
- Pete Flint - Businessman
- Rebecca Anne Flint - Musician
- Hughie Flint - Musician
- Berni Flint - Singer
- Darren Flint - Cricketer
- Jimmy Flint - Boxer
- Robert Flint - Theologian (1838 to 1910)
- Derrick Flint - Cricketer
- Benjamin Flint - Cricketer (1893 to 1959)
- Reginald Flint - Swimmer, Olympic athlete, British Empire Games bronze medallist (1903 to 1981)
- Josh Flint - Football player
- Valerie Flint - Historian (1936 to 2009)
- Billy Flint - Football player (1890 to 1955)
- Joseph Flint - Cricketer (1840 to 1912)
- Betty Flint - Born New Zealand botanist (1909 to 1)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.