2000
#108,153
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 152
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Faneuf
A surname derived from the Old French word "faneuf" meaning "a newly plowed field."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Faneuf. 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 Faneuf 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 Faneuf 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 Faneuf, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Faneuf
The surname Faneuf originated in France during the medieval period, specifically in the region of Normandy. It is believed to be derived from the Old French words "feine" meaning "hay" and "neuf" meaning "new," suggesting a connection to a place or farm where new hay was produced or stored.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Faneuf can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Fainoufe," referring to a landowner or tenant in the county of Essex.
During the 12th century, the name Faneuf was associated with a noble family from the village of Faneuf-sur-Orne in Normandy. This family played a significant role in the Norman conquest of England, and their members held positions of influence in the court of King William I.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Jacques Faneuf (c. 1220-1285) served as a knight and military commander under King Louis IX of France. He participated in the Seventh Crusade and was renowned for his valor and leadership on the battlefield.
Another prominent individual with the surname Faneuf was Marie Faneuf (1567-1641), a French noblewoman and landowner. She was known for her philanthropic efforts and her support of the arts and literature during the Renaissance period.
In the 17th century, a man named Pierre Faneuf (1612-1678) was a successful merchant and trader in the city of Rouen, France. He established a successful business empire and was influential in the city's economic and political affairs.
During the 18th century, a French writer and philosopher named Jean-Baptiste Faneuf (1723-1799) gained recognition for his works on social and political theory. He was a vocal critic of the French monarchy and advocated for greater individual freedoms and a more democratic society.
The name Faneuf has also been associated with various place names throughout France, such as Faneuf-de-Luchon, Faneuf-sur-Orne, and Faneuf-sur-Vienne, reflecting the geographical spread and influence of this surname over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Faneuf
Among Census respondents with the surname Faneuf, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Faneuf 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 Faneuf surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5% · 107
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Faneuf
Faneuf 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
#120,187
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 144
-8 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 12,034 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-32 bearers (-22.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 27,767 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #108,153 | 152 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #120,187 | 144 | 0.05 | -8 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 12,034 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -32 bearers (-22.2%) | Down 27,767 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 Faneuf 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 | #120,187 | #147,954 | -23.1% |
| Count | 144 | 112 | -22.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -25.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Faneuf bearers went from 144 to 112 (-22.2% change). The surname moved down 27,767 positions in the national ranking, going from #120,187 to #147,954.
FAQ
Faneuf surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Faneuf?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Faneuf. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Faneuf?
Faneuf 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 Faneuf. 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 Faneuf.
Has Faneuf become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Faneuf went from 144 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 32 (-22.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #120,187 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Faneuf?
Among Census respondents with the surname Faneuf, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Black (1.8%). 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 Faneuf in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Faneuf appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.5%), Two or More Races (2.7%), Black (1.8%). 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 Faneuf (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 Faneuf mean?
A surname derived from the Old French word "faneuf" meaning "a newly plowed field." 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 Faneuf (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 people have the last name Faneuf?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Faneuf? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.