Fenton
Of English origin meaning "dweller at the fen or marsh".
Name Census estimates that about 1,065 living Americans carry the first name Fenton. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Fenton today is around 43 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Fenton births was 1922 (40 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Fenton. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.1K
~ 1 in 321,835 Americans
Peak year
1922
40 babies that year
Average age
43
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,377
Tracked since 1883
Popularity
Fenton: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Fenton from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 317 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Fenton by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Fenton during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Fentons live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois recorded the most babies named Fenton, while Washington, North Carolina, Virginia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 13 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Fenton
The name Fenton is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "fen" meaning "marsh" or "fen" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement". It likely originated as a place name referring to a settlement near a marshy area.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Fenton dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appeared as a place name in various counties across England. This suggests that the name was already in use during the 11th century.
In the 12th century, the name Fenton appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire, indicating that it was a surname held by individuals residing in that region. Over time, Fenton transitioned from being a place name to a personal name.
One of the earliest known individuals with the first name Fenton was Fenton Neville, an English nobleman born in 1378. He served as a member of the English Parliament and played a role in the Wars of the Roses.
Another notable bearer of the name was Fenton Jefferies (1637-1685), an English Puritan minister and writer. He was known for his work "The Whole Duty of Man" and his opposition to the Catholic Church.
In the 18th century, Fenton Elwin (1719-1796) was a prominent English composer and organist. He composed several anthems and organ concertos and served as the organist at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
Fenton John Anthony Hort (1828-1892) was a distinguished English theologian and biblical scholar. He is best known for his work on the critical edition of the Greek New Testament, known as the Westcott-Hort text.
Fenton Stratford Arnstein (1869-1936) was an American artist and illustrator, renowned for his work in magazines and children's books. He illustrated several editions of Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and contributed to popular magazines like Harper's and Scribner's.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the first name Fenton throughout history. The name has maintained a presence, particularly in English-speaking countries, and has been passed down through generations, reflecting its enduring legacy and cultural significance.
People
Fenton + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Fenton as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Fenton: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Fenton?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,065 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Fenton going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 321,835 US residents.
Is Fenton a common name?
We classify Fenton as "Rare". It ranks above 90.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,034 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Fenton most popular?
The single biggest year for Fenton was 1922, when 40 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Fenton is about 43 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Fenton a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Fenton in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.