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

Fahnestock, 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 Fahnestock surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fahnestock in America

Fahnestock is the 18724th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fahnestock surname appeared 1,467 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Fahnestock.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fahnestock 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 Fahnestock

The surname Fahnestock is of German origin, and it is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German words "fahan" meaning "to grasp" or "to hold," and "stock" meaning "a stick" or "a staff." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who carried a staff or a pole, potentially as part of their occupation or profession.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Fahnestock name can be found in the Codex Traditionum Ecclesiae Coloniensis, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 12th century, which contains records of property transactions and legal proceedings in the region of Cologne. This document mentions individuals with the surname Fahnestock, indicating that the name had already been established in this area by that time.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Fahnestock surname appeared in various records and documents throughout Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and the Rhineland. One notable individual from this period was Hans Fahnestock (1548-1616), a merchant and landowner from the city of Nuremberg. His descendants continued to use the Fahnestock name, and some of them later emigrated to other parts of Europe and North America.

In the 18th century, the Fahnestock name began to spread beyond Germany, with some individuals bearing this surname settling in areas such as Pennsylvania and other parts of the United States. One of the earliest known Fahnestock immigrants to America was Michael Fahnestock (1692-1778), who arrived in Pennsylvania in the early 1700s and established a farm in what is now Lancaster County.

Another prominent figure with the Fahnestock surname was Johann Philipp Fahnestock (1741-1815), a German-born printer and publisher who lived in Philadelphia. He was known for publishing various works, including German-language books and newspapers, and his printing business played a significant role in the dissemination of information and literature among the German-American community.

In the 19th century, the Fahnestock name continued to be associated with notable individuals, such as Edson B. Fahnestock (1825-1892), a lawyer and politician from Pennsylvania who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives. Additionally, Harris C. Fahnestock (1835-1914) was a prominent businessman and industrialist who founded the Fahnestock Company, a successful financial firm based in New York City.

Throughout its history, the surname Fahnestock has been subject to various spellings and variations, including Fahnenstock, Fahnestok, and Fanestock, among others. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects, differences in pronunciation, and the transcription of the name by various scribes and record keepers over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fahnestock

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

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 Fahnestock 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 Fahnestock 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 Fahnestock was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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