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

Fam, 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 Fam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fam in America

Fam is the 52851st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fam surname appeared 392 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Fam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fam 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 Fam

The surname Fam originated in England during the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "fæmne," meaning "maiden" or "young woman." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive nickname for a young, unmarried woman.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fam can be found in the Hundred Rolls, a census-like survey conducted in England in the late 13th century. The rolls mention a John le Fam, who lived in Oxfordshire during this time period.

In the 14th century, the Fam surname appeared in various parts of England, with slight variations in spelling, such as Famme, Fammey, and Famey. These variations likely arose due to regional differences in pronunciation and the lack of standardized spelling at the time.

The Fam name can also be traced back to certain place names in England. For example, there is a village called Fambridge in Essex, which may have contributed to the development of the surname in that region.

One notable individual with the Fam surname was Sir John Fam (1495-1568), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Somerset. He served as Sheriff of Somerset and Dorset and was knighted by King Henry VIII in 1544.

Another prominent figure was William Fam (1592-1655), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1647 to 1648.

In the 17th century, the Fam name spread to other parts of the British Isles, including Scotland and Ireland. One example is Robert Fam (1620-1684), a Scottish minister and theologian who wrote several works on Calvinist doctrine.

During the Age of Exploration, the Fam surname also made its way to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of John Fam, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and settled in the Jamestown colony.

Another notable figure was Nathaniel Fam (1683-1758), an American merchant and politician from Massachusetts. He served as a member of the Massachusetts General Court and was involved in the colonial resistance against British rule.

As the centuries passed, the Fam surname continued to be found throughout the English-speaking world, with various individuals making their mark in different fields, such as academia, politics, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fam

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!