2000
#71,143
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 256
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Faiman
A Yiddish surname likely derived from the name "Faivish" or "Feivush".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 344 Americans carry the last name Faiman. That puts it at #70,358 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 996,379 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Faiman 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
344
1 in 996,379
Census rank
#70,358
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
300
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 300 bearers of the surname Faiman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 70358th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Faiman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Faiman
The surname FAIMAN originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic word "fehiman," which meant "cattle herder" or "livestock manager." This occupation was highly valued in medieval times, as cattle and livestock were essential for farming, transportation, and sustenance.
One of the earliest known references to the surname FAIMAN can be found in a 13th-century manuscript from the region of Bavaria. This document recorded a transaction involving a man named Hans Faiman, who was a respected cattle herder in the village of Ingolstadt.
In the 14th century, the surname FAIMAN began appearing in various records and documents across southern Germany. One notable example is the birth record of Johannes Faiman in 1367 in the town of Augsburg. This record also mentions his father, Dietrich Faiman, indicating that the surname had already been established for at least one generation.
As the FAIMAN family spread across Germany, variations in spelling emerged, such as Feiman, Feyman, and Feimann. These variations likely resulted from regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname FAIMAN was Heinrich Faiman, born in 1412 in the town of Nuremberg. He gained recognition as a skilled blacksmith and was commissioned to create intricate metalwork for several churches in the region.
Another notable figure was Anna Faiman, born in 1523 in the city of Heidelberg. She was a respected herbalist and midwife, renowned for her knowledge of medicinal plants and her compassionate care for mothers and their newborns.
In the 17th century, the FAIMAN surname appeared in the records of the University of Tübingen, where a scholar named Johannes Faiman (1645-1718) taught philosophy and theology. He was known for his insightful writings on ethics and the nature of human existence.
During the 18th century, a branch of the FAIMAN family settled in the town of Mainz, where they became successful vintners. One of their descendants, Friedrich Faiman (1771-1841), was celebrated for his exceptional winemaking skills and his contributions to the local wine industry.
The 19th century saw the rise of a prominent artist named Wilhelm Faiman (1832-1904), who hailed from the city of Berlin. His landscape paintings and portraits captured the beauty of the German countryside and were highly sought after by art collectors across Europe.
Throughout their history, the FAIMAN surname has been associated with various occupations, from cattle herders and blacksmiths to scholars, vintners, and artists. While the name may have originated from humble beginnings, it has left an indelible mark on German culture and society over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Faiman
Among Census respondents with the surname Faiman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Faiman 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 Faiman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 275
- Two or more races4.0% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Faiman
Faiman 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
#77,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 246
-10 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 6,645 places
2020
#70,358
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 300
+54 bearers (+22.0%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 7,430 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #71,143 | 256 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #77,788 | 246 | 0.08 | -10 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 6,645 places |
| 2020 | #70,358 | 300 | 0.10 | +54 bearers (+22.0%) | Up 7,430 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 Faiman 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 | #77,788 | #70,358 | 9.6% |
| Count | 246 | 300 | 22.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.10 | 25.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Faiman bearers went from 246 to 300 (+22.0% change). The surname moved up 7,430 positions in the national ranking, going from #77,788 to #70,358.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Faiman
FAQ
Faiman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Faiman?
Name Census estimates that about 344 living Americans carry the surname Faiman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 996,379 residents.
How common is Faiman?
Faiman ranks #70,358 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 300 people with the surname Faiman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (344), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Faiman.
Has Faiman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Faiman went from 246 recorded bearers to 300. That is an increase of 54 (+22.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #77,788 to #70,358.
What does the Census say about the background of Faiman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Faiman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Faiman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (275 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Faiman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Faiman (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 Faiman mean?
A Yiddish surname likely derived from the name "Faivish" or "Feivush". 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 Faiman (0.10 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 many people share the surname Faiman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.