Find out how popular the last name Fabian is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Fabian.

Fabian, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Fabian surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fabian in America

Fabian is the 2738th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fabian surname appeared 13,161 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Fabian.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fabian to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name 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.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fabian

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Fabian.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Fabian was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Fabian has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Fabian was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Fabian, please contact us.

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