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

Fails, 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 Fails surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fails in America

Fails is the 14382nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fails surname appeared 2,078 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 Fails.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fails 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 Fails

The surname "FAILS" is of English origin, first appearing in records around the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "feall," meaning "fallow land" or "untilled ground." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived or worked on fallow land.

The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, dated 1273, where a certain William le Failus is mentioned. This early spelling variation, "Failus," further supports the connection to the Old English word "feall."

Throughout the Middle Ages, the name appeared sporadically in various historical documents across different regions of England. One notable example is the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which lists a John Fayles among the taxpayers.

In the 16th century, the name began to take on its more modern spelling of "FAILS." This can be seen in the Parish Records of St. Mary's Church in Shrewsbury, where a Thomas FAILS was recorded as having been baptized in 1587.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Richard FAILS, a wealthy merchant from Bristol who lived in the late 15th century. He was involved in the thriving wool trade of the time and is mentioned in several contemporary records related to business transactions and property ownership.

Another notable figure was John FAILS, born in 1623 in Warwickshire. He was a prominent Puritan minister who played a significant role in the religious and political turmoil of the English Civil War era. FAILS was a vocal supporter of the Parliamentary cause and was known for his fiery sermons denouncing the monarchy.

In the 18th century, the name gained some literary recognition through the works of William FAILS, a poet and essayist born in 1741 in Gloucestershire. While not widely celebrated during his lifetime, FAILS's writings were rediscovered and appreciated by later literary scholars for their keen observations and elegant style.

The 19th century saw the rise of Sir James FAILS, a highly influential industrialist and entrepreneur born in 1812 in Lancashire. He was a pioneer in the early days of the textile industry and played a crucial role in the development of mechanized cotton spinning. FAILS's innovative business practices and philanthropic efforts left a lasting impact on the region.

Lastly, one cannot overlook the contributions of Mary FAILS, a pioneering female scientist born in 1879 in Yorkshire. Despite facing numerous obstacles due to her gender, FAILS made significant discoveries in the field of biochemistry and was one of the first women to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1920.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fails

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

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

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

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