2000
#3,034
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,951
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.06
Uncommon Last name
Fabian
Derived from the Roman cognomen Fabianus, which referred to a person who came from the city of Fabia.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,958 Americans carry the last name Fabian. That puts it at #2,699 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,914 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fabian 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 Fabian with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 22,914
Census rank
#2,699
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,044 bearers of the surname Fabian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2699th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fabian, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 47.4%. The next largest groups are White (44.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fabian
The surname FABIAN originated in ancient Rome, derived from the Latin personal name Fabianus, meaning "descendant of Fabius." It was a prominent name in the Roman Republic and Empire, with several notable figures bearing it.
The first recorded instance of the name can be found in ancient Roman records, with Quintus Fabius Maximus, a Roman statesman and military commander who lived from around 280 to 203 BC. He was known for his cautious military tactics, which earned him the nickname "Cunctator" (the Delayer).
Another significant bearer of the name was Pope Fabian, who served as the Bishop of Rome from 236 to 250 AD. He is recognized as a saint in the Catholic Church and is credited with organizing the Church's administration and establishing several Church practices.
During the Middle Ages, the name Fabian was prevalent in various regions of Europe, particularly in Italy, France, and Spain. One notable figure from this period was Fabian von Dohna, a Prussian military leader who lived from 1550 to 1621 and served as a Field Marshal under the Elector of Brandenburg.
In England, the name can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as Fabianus. One of the earliest known bearers of the surname in England was Robert Fabian, a renowned chronicler and historian who lived from around 1452 to 1513. He is best known for his work "The Concordance of Histories," which chronicled the history of England from the Norman Conquest to his time.
Another notable English bearer of the name was Sir Robert Fabian, a diplomat and courtier who lived from around 1599 to 1668. He served as the English ambassador to the Ottoman Empire and played a crucial role in establishing trade relations between England and Turkey.
In Germany, the surname Fabian was also present, with one of the earliest recorded instances being that of Johann Fabian, a German composer and organist who lived from around 1550 to 1616. He was renowned for his contributions to the development of early Baroque music.
Other historical figures with the surname Fabian include Philippe Fabian, a French military leader who lived from 1858 to 1936 and served as a General during World War I, and Basil Fabian, an English actor and director who lived from 1888 to 1966 and was known for his work in the British theater and film industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fabian
Among Census respondents with the surname Fabian, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 47.4%. The next largest groups are White (44.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Fabian 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 Fabian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino47.4% · 6,184
- White44.6% · 5,823
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.4% · 579
- Black or African American1.7% · 225
- Two or more races1.5% · 197
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 36
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fabian
Fabian 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
#2,738
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,161
+2,210 bearers (+20.2%)
Per 100,000 4.46
Rank movement Up 296 places
2020
#2,699
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,044
-117 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 4.36
Rank movement Up 39 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,034 | 10,951 | 4.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,738 | 13,161 | 4.46 | +2,210 bearers (+20.2%) | Up 296 places |
| 2020 | #2,699 | 13,044 | 4.36 | -117 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 39 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 Fabian 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 | #2,738 | #2,699 | 1.4% |
| Count | 13,161 | 13,044 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 4.46 | 4.36 | -2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fabian bearers went from 13,161 to 13,044 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 39 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,738 to #2,699.
FAQ
Fabian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fabian?
Name Census estimates that about 14,958 living Americans carry the surname Fabian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,914 residents.
How common is Fabian?
Fabian ranks #2,699 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.36 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,044 people with the surname Fabian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,958), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.36 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Fabian.
Has Fabian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fabian went from 13,161 recorded bearers to 13,044. That is a decrease of 117 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,738 to #2,699.
What does the Census say about the background of Fabian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fabian, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 47.4%. The next largest groups are White (44.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Fabian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.4% (6,184 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fabian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (47.4%), White (44.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%). 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 Fabian (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 Fabian mean?
Derived from the Roman cognomen Fabianus, which referred to a person who came from the city of Fabia. 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 Fabian (4.36 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 many people are called Fabian?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Fabian on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.