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

Falls, 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 Falls surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Falls in America

Falls is the 4865th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Falls surname appeared 7,250 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Falls.

We can also compare 2010 data for Falls 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 Falls

The surname "FALLS" is of English origin and is believed to have derived from the Old English word "feall," meaning a small stream or rivulet. It was most likely used as a toponymic surname, referring to someone who lived near a small waterfall or stream.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the late 12th century in various counties across England. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert de Falle, who was mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Hertfordshire in 1198.

During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Falle, Fales, Falles, and Fallows, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in pronunciation. The surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire, where many small streams and waterfalls were found.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the Parish Registers of Bakewell, Derbyshire, with the baptism of John Falls in 1589. Another notable bearer of the name was William Falls, a merchant from York, who was mentioned in the Freemen's Roll of York in 1612.

The surname gained further prominence in the 17th and 18th centuries, with several notable individuals bearing the name. John Falls (1601-1675) was an English Puritan clergyman and author, known for his work "The Life and Death of the Reverend Mr. John Smith." Another notable figure was Samuel Falls (1648-1719), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of comets and celestial mechanics.

In the 19th century, the surname continued to be associated with various notable individuals. John Falls (1801-1880) was a British landscape painter known for his depictions of rural scenes and landscapes. James Falls (1833-1912) was a Scottish journalist and author who wrote extensively about the history and culture of Scotland.

Throughout its history, the surname "FALLS" has also been associated with various place names, such as Falls Village in Connecticut, United States, and Falls Creek in Victoria, Australia. These place names likely derived from the presence of waterfalls or streams in those areas, further reinforcing the toponymic origin of the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Falls

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

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

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

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