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

Fairman, 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 Fairman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fairman in America

Fairman is the 12541st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fairman surname appeared 2,470 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 Fairman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fairman 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 Fairman

The surname Fairman is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "faeger" meaning "fair" or "beautiful" and "mann" meaning "man." It is believed to have originated as a descriptive surname, likely referring to a handsome or fair-skinned individual.

The earliest recorded instances of the Fairman surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various counties of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. One of the earliest documented examples is found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a person named Roger Fayrman is mentioned.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as Faireman, Fayreman, and Fayremanne, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling during that time period. The Placita de Quo Warranto, a record of legal proceedings from the reign of Edward I (1272-1307), mentions a John Fayreman from Oxfordshire.

The Fairman surname is also linked to several place names in England, such as Fairmile in Gloucestershire and Fairmansworth in Hertfordshire. These place names likely derived from the same roots as the surname and may have influenced its development and usage.

Notable individuals with the surname Fairman throughout history include:

1. William Fairman (c. 1590-1640), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford.

2. Thomas Fairman (1714-1789), an English engraver and writer on antiquities, known for his works on the history of Yorkshire.

3. John Fairman (1782-1841), a British naval officer and explorer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

4. Walter Fairman (1842-1920), an English-born Australian pastoralist and politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.

5. Gideon Fairman (1774-1852), an American surveyor and politician who served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate.

While the Fairman surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, through migration and immigration patterns. However, its origins and early development can be traced back to the medieval period in various regions of England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fairman

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

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

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

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