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

Faith, 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 Faith surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Faith in America

Faith is the 8323rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Faith surname appeared 3,981 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 Faith.

We can also compare 2010 data for Faith 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 Faith

The surname Faith has its origins in England, dating back to the late 16th century. It is an English surname derived from the word "faith," meaning religious belief or trust. The name likely originated as a nickname or descriptive surname for someone who was particularly devout or religious.

In the early days, the name was sometimes spelled as "Fayth" or "Feyth," reflecting the variations in spelling common during that time period. The earliest known record of the surname Faith appears in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Navenby, Lincolnshire, where a John Fayth was mentioned in 1592.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Faith became more widespread across England, particularly in the counties of Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and Lancashire. Notable bearers of the name included John Faith (1617-1690), an English clergyman and author from Lincolnshire, and William Faith (1690-1763), a prominent bookseller and publisher in London.

The surname Faith also has historical connections to the English Civil War. In 1642, a man named Samuel Faith was appointed as the Governor of Plymouth, where he played a crucial role in defending the town against Royalist forces during the conflict.

Another notable figure with the surname Faith was James Faith (1788-1871), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a captain in the Royal Navy. He was born in Devonshire and had a distinguished career spanning several decades.

In the 19th century, the surname Faith was carried by Edward Faith (1808-1876), a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal College of Surgeons and the Church of St. Andrew in Holborn.

As people migrated from England to other parts of the world, the surname Faith spread to various countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia. However, its roots can be traced back to the English origins and the meaning associated with religious faith or belief.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Faith

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

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

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

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