2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fandal
A surname derived from a location in the Netherlands or Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Fandal. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fandal 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Fandal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fandal, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.0%. The next largest groups are Black (21.4%) and Hispanic (8.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fandal
The surname FANDAL has its origins in the Czech Republic, with records dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old Czech word "fanda," which referred to a type of traditional folk dance. This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a descriptive surname to someone who was a skilled dancer or performer of this traditional dance.
The earliest known record of the name FANDAL is found in a registry of births and marriages from the town of Třeboň in Southern Bohemia, dated 1587. Here, the name is spelled "Fandala," indicating a potential variation in the spelling over time.
In the 17th century, the name FANDAL appears in several historical documents from the region of Moravia, which was then part of the Kingdom of Bohemia. One notable mention is in a land deed from 1623, which records the sale of a parcel of land to a certain Jan FANDAL, a farmer from the village of Slavkov.
By the 18th century, the name had spread to other parts of the Czech lands, with records showing FANDAL families residing in towns such as Brno, Olomouc, and Prague. One notable figure from this period was Václav FANDAL (1712-1786), a respected clockmaker and inventor who is credited with developing an early form of the pendulum clock.
In the 19th century, the name FANDAL began to appear in records from other parts of Europe, likely due to migration and the spread of Czech families. For example, there is a record of a Josef FANDAL (1822-1897) who was a prominent merchant and landowner in the German city of Leipzig.
Another notable figure with the surname FANDAL was Karel FANDAL (1867-1943), a Czech painter and illustrator known for his depictions of traditional Czech life and folklore. His works are still celebrated today and can be found in several museums and galleries across the Czech Republic.
Over the centuries, the name FANDAL has also been associated with various place names and geographical locations within the Czech lands. These include the village of Fandaly near Třeboň, which may have derived its name from an early FANDAL family who settled there.
While the surname FANDAL is not among the most common in the Czech Republic today, it remains a part of the country's rich cultural heritage and a testament to the enduring influence of traditional folk arts and customs on the naming traditions of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fandal
Among Census respondents with the surname Fandal, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.0%. The next largest groups are Black (21.4%) and Hispanic (8.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Fandal 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 Fandal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.0% · 75
- Black or African American21.4% · 24
- Hispanic or Latino8.9% · 10
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fandal
Fandal 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,437 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 701 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,437 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 701 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 Fandal 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 | #147,253 | #147,954 | -0.5% |
| Count | 112 | 112 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fandal bearers went from 112 to 112 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 701 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #147,954.
FAQ
Fandal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fandal?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Fandal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Fandal?
Fandal ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 112 people with the surname Fandal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Fandal.
Has Fandal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fandal went from 112 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Fandal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fandal, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.0%. The next largest groups are Black (21.4%) and Hispanic (8.9%). 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 Fandal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.0% (75 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fandal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.0%), Black (21.4%), Hispanic (8.9%). 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 Fandal (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 Fandal mean?
A surname derived from a location in the Netherlands or Germany. 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 Fandal (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Fandal?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.