Flint History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 


The origins of the name Flint are from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the personal name Flint. In Old English, patronyms were formed by adding a variety of suffixes to personal names, which changed over time and from place to place. For example, after the Norman Conquest, sunu and sune, which meant son, were the most common patronymic suffixes. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the most common patronymic names included the word filius, which meant son. By the 14th century, the suffix son had replaced these earlier versions. Surnames that were formed with filius or son were more common in the north of England and it was here that the number of individuals without surnames was greatest at this time.

Early Origins of the Flint family

The surname Flint was first found in Suffolk where they held a family seat from very ancient times, and is the name of the great Saxon Gods. The name was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086.

Early History of the Flint family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Flint research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1290, 1300 and 1379 are included under the topic Early Flint History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Flint Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Flint family name include Flint, Flinte, Flindt, Flynt and others.

Early Notables of the Flint family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Flint Ranking

In the United States, the name Flint is the 1,944th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 1 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Flint is ranked the 992nd most popular surname with an estimated 7,011 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Flint family to Ireland

Some of the Flint family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Flint migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Flint surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Flint Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Flint Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Flint Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Flint migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Flint Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Flint migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Flint Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Flint migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 10
Flint Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Flint (post 1700) +


The Flint Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Sine macula
Motto Translation: Without spot.


Suggested Readings for the name Flint +
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