Flynn

Flynn is a surname and given name of Irish origin. It is an anglicized form of Ó Floinn, meaning “descendant of Flann,” with Flann itself a Gaelic personal name. The name is common in Ireland and has spread to English-speaking countries, where it is used both as a surname and as a given name.

Notable people with the surname include Gillian Flynn, an American author known for Gone Girl; Michael Flynn, a U.S. Army general and former National Security Advisor; John Flynn, an Australian Presbyterian minister and founder of the Royal Flying Doctor Service; and James R. Flynn, a cognitive psychologist who described the Flynn effect—the documented rise in IQ scores over the 20th century.

Flynn is also used as a place name. In Australia, it is the name of a Canberra suburb, and the Division of Flynn is a federal electoral division in Queensland, named in honor of John Flynn.

In other contexts, “Flynn” appears in science and technology. The Flynn effect refers to the observed rise in IQ scores over the 20th century. In computer science, Flynn’s taxonomy classifies computer architectures by instruction and data streams. In popular culture, Flynn Rider is a fictional character in Disney’s Tangled, and the given name is used for other fictional characters as well.

Overall, Flynn denotes a versatile name linked to historical figures, places, and concepts across disciplines.