2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Fabiny
An occupational surname derived from the Hungarian word "fabian" meaning bean farmer or seller.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Fabiny. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fabiny 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.
Bearers in the US
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Fabiny in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fabiny, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fabiny
The surname Fabiny is believed to have originated in Hungary, and its earliest known usage dates back to the late 16th century. It is likely derived from the Hungarian word "fábincs," which translates to "small wooden bench." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a craftsman or woodworker who specialized in creating such benches.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Fabiny name can be found in a Hungarian census record from the town of Eger, dated 1598. This document lists a "Janos Fabiny" as a resident of the town. Further references to individuals bearing this surname appear in various Hungarian parish records and legal documents from the 17th and 18th centuries, indicating that the name had become well-established in various regions of the country during this time period.
In the 19th century, the Fabiny name gained some prominence with the birth of Rezső Fabiny (1800-1876), a Hungarian poet and writer who was known for his works celebrating Hungarian culture and traditions. Another notable figure was Teofil Fabiny (1861-1936), a Catholic priest and writer who founded several educational institutions in Hungary.
As the 20th century dawned, the Fabiny name continued to be represented by notable individuals, such as Tibor Fabiny (1895-1976), a Hungarian-American chemist who made significant contributions to the development of synthetic rubber and plastics. Additionally, Ferenc Fabiny (1917-2004) was a renowned Hungarian artist and sculptor whose works were exhibited internationally.
One of the most recent prominent individuals bearing the Fabiny surname was Tamás Fabiny (1936-2019), a Hungarian Lutheran bishop and theologian who played a crucial role in the formation of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Hungary after the fall of communism.
Throughout its history, the Fabiny name has maintained a strong connection to its Hungarian roots, with many individuals bearing this surname contributing to various fields, including literature, religion, science, and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fabiny
Among Census respondents with the surname Fabiny, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Fabiny 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 Fabiny surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 89
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.8% · 5
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fabiny
Fabiny 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-9 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,268 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-14 bearers (-11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,450 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 16,268 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -14 bearers (-11.9%) | Down 12,450 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 Fabiny 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 | #141,140 | #153,590 | -8.8% |
| Count | 118 | 104 | -11.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fabiny bearers went from 118 to 104 (-11.9% change). The surname moved down 12,450 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #153,590.
FAQ
Fabiny surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fabiny?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Fabiny. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Fabiny?
Fabiny ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 104 people with the surname Fabiny. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Fabiny.
Has Fabiny become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fabiny went from 118 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 14 (-11.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Fabiny?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fabiny, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Fabiny in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fabiny appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Hispanic (5.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%). 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 Fabiny (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 Fabiny mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Hungarian word "fabian" meaning bean farmer or seller. 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 Fabiny (0.03 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 common is the surname Fabiny?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Fabiny on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.