2000
#11,570
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,492
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.92
Rare Last name
Fales
Derived from a Middle English topographic name for someone who lived near a plank bridge or ramp.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,627 Americans carry the last name Fales. That puts it at #12,830 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,474 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fales 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
2.6K
1 in 130,474
Census rank
#12,830
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,291 bearers of the surname Fales in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12830th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fales, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fales
The surname Fales has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "fælu," meaning "fallow" or "pale." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone with a pale complexion or associated with fallow land.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex from 1230, where a certain Roger Fales is mentioned. This document provides evidence of the name's existence in the 13th century. The surname also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, further solidifying its presence in medieval England.
The name Fales is thought to have originated in various parts of England, including Sussex, Oxfordshire, and other southern counties. Over time, it has been spelled in different ways, such as Fayles, Failes, and Faylis, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and regional dialects.
In the 16th century, historical records mention a Thomas Fales, born around 1530 in Wrentham, Suffolk. He is believed to be an ancestor of many individuals bearing the Fales surname in the United States. Another notable figure was Robert Fales, a member of the Virginia Company, who played a role in the colonization of America in the early 17th century.
During the English Civil War in the mid-17th century, a John Fales served as a military officer under Oliver Cromwell's Parliamentarian forces. His service and loyalty to the Parliamentarian cause are documented in historical accounts of the time.
In the 18th century, Samuel Fales, born in 1695 in Massachusetts, gained recognition as a prominent shipbuilder and merchant. He contributed significantly to the maritime industry in colonial New England.
The 19th century saw the birth of James Fales, a renowned American artist and painter. Born in 1833 in Connecticut, his landscape paintings captured the beauty of the New England countryside and gained widespread acclaim.
Throughout its history, the surname Fales has been associated with various occupations, including farming, military service, shipbuilding, and artistic pursuits. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has spread across the globe, carried by individuals who have left their mark in diverse fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fales
Among Census respondents with the surname Fales, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Fales 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 Fales surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 2,110
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 70
- Two or more races2.7% · 63
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 16
- Black or African American0.7% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fales
Fales 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
#12,250
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,539
+47 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Down 680 places
2020
#12,830
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,291
-248 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 580 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,570 | 2,492 | 0.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,250 | 2,539 | 0.86 | +47 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 680 places |
| 2020 | #12,830 | 2,291 | 0.77 | -248 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 580 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 Fales 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 | #12,250 | #12,830 | -4.7% |
| Count | 2,539 | 2,291 | -9.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.86 | 0.77 | -10.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fales bearers went from 2,539 to 2,291 (-9.8% change). The surname moved down 580 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,250 to #12,830.
FAQ
Fales surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fales?
Name Census estimates that about 2,627 living Americans carry the surname Fales. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,474 residents.
How common is Fales?
Fales ranks #12,830 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,291 people with the surname Fales. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,627), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Fales.
Has Fales become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fales went from 2,539 recorded bearers to 2,291. That is a decrease of 248 (-9.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,250 to #12,830.
What does the Census say about the background of Fales?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fales, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Fales in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (2,110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fales appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Fales (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 Fales mean?
Derived from a Middle English topographic name for someone who lived near a plank bridge or ramp. 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 Fales (0.77 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 have the last name Fales?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Fales on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.