2000
#9,845
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,028
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.12
Rare Last name
Falkner
An occupational surname referring to a falconer, one who trains or hunts with falcons or hawks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,259 Americans carry the last name Falkner. That puts it at #10,732 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 105,172 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Falkner 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Falkner with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 105,172
Census rank
#10,732
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,842 bearers of the surname Falkner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10732nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Falkner, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Black (13.6%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Falkner
The surname Falkner originates from England, with its earliest known use dating back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "falconere," meaning "keeper of falcons" or "falcon hunter." The name likely arose as an occupational surname for those who trained falcons for hunting purposes during the medieval period.
In the Domesday Book, a great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are references to individuals with the name Falconarius, the Latin equivalent of Falkner. This suggests that the name was already in use before the Norman Conquest of 1066.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Falkner is found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1195, where a Richard le Faukener is listed. The spelling variations in the early records include Faukener, Fawkener, and Faulconer, reflecting the evolution of the name over time.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Falkner surname appeared in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Warwickshire. This indicates that the name was relatively widespread and not confined to a specific locality.
Sir Thomas Falkner (1510-1594) was a prominent figure during the Tudor period and served as Lord Mayor of London in 1585-1586. Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Everard Falkner (1617-1686), a politician and Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire during the English Civil War.
In the literary world, John Meade Falkner (1858-1932) was a renowned English novelist and poet, best known for his novel "Moonfleet" published in 1898. His works often drew inspiration from the landscapes and history of Dorset, where he spent much of his life.
Edward Falkner (1714-1768) was a British explorer and writer who traveled extensively in South America and the Caribbean. His accounts of his voyages, published in the mid-18th century, provided valuable insights into the geography, culture, and natural history of the regions he visited.
Jonathan Falkner (1768-1823) was a prominent Baptist minister and theologian in Philadelphia, known for his contributions to religious education and his advocacy for the abolition of slavery.
Throughout history, the Falkner surname has been associated with various professions, from falconry to politics, literature, exploration, and religious leadership. Its enduring presence over centuries reflects the diverse contributions of those who have borne this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Falkner
Among Census respondents with the surname Falkner, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Black (13.6%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Falkner 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 Falkner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.6% · 2,263
- Black or African American13.6% · 387
- Two or more races3.3% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 75
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Falkner
Falkner 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
#10,402
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,097
+69 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 557 places
2020
#10,732
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,842
-255 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.95
Rank movement Down 330 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,845 | 3,028 | 1.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,402 | 3,097 | 1.05 | +69 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 557 places |
| 2020 | #10,732 | 2,842 | 0.95 | -255 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 330 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 Falkner 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 | #10,402 | #10,732 | -3.2% |
| Count | 3,097 | 2,842 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.05 | 0.95 | -9.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Falkner bearers went from 3,097 to 2,842 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 330 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,402 to #10,732.
FAQ
Falkner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Falkner?
Name Census estimates that about 3,259 living Americans carry the surname Falkner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 105,172 residents.
How common is Falkner?
Falkner ranks #10,732 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.95 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 2,842 people with the surname Falkner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,259), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.95 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 Falkner.
Has Falkner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Falkner went from 3,097 recorded bearers to 2,842. That is a decrease of 255 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,402 to #10,732.
What does the Census say about the background of Falkner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Falkner, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Black (13.6%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Falkner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.6% (2,263 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Falkner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.6%), Black (13.6%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Falkner (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 Falkner mean?
An occupational surname referring to a falconer, one who trains or hunts with falcons or hawks. 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 Falkner (0.95 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 Falkner?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Falkner at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.