2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fabunan
A surname possibly derived from the Spanish word "fabula" meaning fable or myth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Fabunan. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fabunan 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Fabunan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fabunan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.7%) and White (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fabunan
The surname Fabunan originates from the Philippines and dates back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Filipino word "buna," which means "cotton plant." This suggests that the name's origins may be linked to families involved in the cultivation or trade of cotton in the region.
The earliest known record of the Fabunan surname can be found in the Spanish colonial records of the Philippines from the late 1500s. During that time, the Spanish colonizers were documenting the names of local inhabitants for administrative purposes. The name Fabunan appears to have been recorded in various forms, such as "Fabuñan," "Fabunhan," and "Fabunyan," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation.
One notable figure with the Fabunan surname was Juan Fabunan, a prominent leader in the Philippine Revolution against Spanish colonial rule in the late 19th century. Juan Fabunan was born in 1865 in the province of Bulacan and played a significant role in organizing the revolutionary forces in his region.
Another individual of historical significance was Catalina Fabunan, a pioneering educator and women's rights advocate in the early 20th century. Catalina Fabunan was born in 1887 in the province of Pampanga and dedicated her life to promoting education and empowering women in the Philippines.
In the realm of literature, the Fabunan surname is associated with the renowned Filipino writer and poet, Antonio Fabunan, who lived from 1912 to 1988. Antonio Fabunan's works often explored themes of national identity, social justice, and the Filipino experience during the turbulent years of the 20th century.
The Fabunan name is also connected to several notable place names in the Philippines. For instance, Barangay Fabunan is a village located in the municipality of Alicia, in the province of Bohol. Additionally, there is a Barangay Fabunanan in the town of Maragusan, in the province of Compostela Valley.
Historically, the Fabunan surname has been found in various regions of the Philippines, particularly in the central and southern parts of the archipelago. It is worth noting that the name has maintained its presence and significance throughout the centuries, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and resilience of Filipino families bearing this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fabunan
Among Census respondents with the surname Fabunan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.7%) and White (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Fabunan 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 Fabunan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander84.5% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino9.7% · 10
- White2.9% · 3
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fabunan
Fabunan appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 413 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 413 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 Fabunan 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 | #153,769 | #154,182 | -0.3% |
| Count | 106 | 103 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fabunan bearers went from 106 to 103 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 413 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #154,182.
FAQ
Fabunan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fabunan?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Fabunan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Fabunan?
Fabunan ranks #154,182 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 103 people with the surname Fabunan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), 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 Fabunan.
Has Fabunan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fabunan went from 106 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Fabunan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fabunan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.7%) and White (2.9%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Fabunan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.5% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fabunan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (84.5%), Hispanic (9.7%), White (2.9%). 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 Fabunan (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 Fabunan mean?
A surname possibly derived from the Spanish word "fabula" meaning fable or myth. 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 Fabunan (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 Fabunan?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Fabunan on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.