2000
#9,252
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,241
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.20
Rare Last name
Fann
An English surname derived from the Old English word "fann," meaning a marsh or muddy area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,604 Americans carry the last name Fann. That puts it at #9,828 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 95,104 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fann 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 Fann with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 95,104
Census rank
#9,828
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,143 bearers of the surname Fann in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9828th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fann, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.3%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fann
The surname FANN is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "fana," which means "banner" or "standard-bearer." This suggests that the name may have been initially borne by someone who carried a banner or flag, either in a military or ceremonial capacity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name FANN can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Fanne" in Cambridgeshire. This entry likely refers to a landowner or tenant of the time. The name also appears in various other medieval records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from the late 12th century.
The surname FANN has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure is Sir John Fann (c. 1540-1615), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for East Grinstead during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another notable bearer of the name was John Fann (1615-1681), a prosperous merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol.
In the 17th century, the FANN surname gained prominence in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances is Thomas Fann (c. 1620-1692), who settled in Virginia in the 1640s and became a prominent landowner and planter. His descendants played a significant role in the development of the colonial tobacco industry.
The name FANN has also been associated with several notable figures in the field of literature. One such individual was Richard Fann (1778-1856), an English poet and writer who published several works in the early 19th century. Another literary figure was Mary Fann (1837-1919), an American author and educator who wrote extensively on topics related to women's education and social reform.
While the surname FANN may have originated in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. Over the centuries, it has undergone various spelling variations, including Fanne, Fanne, Fanny, and Fanney, reflecting the evolution of language and regional dialects.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fann
Among Census respondents with the surname Fann, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.3%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Fann 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 Fann surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.3% · 2,209
- Black or African American16.7% · 526
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.4% · 171
- Two or more races3.9% · 122
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 109
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fann
Fann 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
#9,301
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,499
+258 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Down 49 places
2020
#9,828
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,143
-356 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 527 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,252 | 3,241 | 1.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,301 | 3,499 | 1.19 | +258 bearers (+8.0%) | Down 49 places |
| 2020 | #9,828 | 3,143 | 1.05 | -356 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 527 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 Fann 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 | #9,301 | #9,828 | -5.7% |
| Count | 3,499 | 3,143 | -10.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 1.05 | -11.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fann bearers went from 3,499 to 3,143 (-10.2% change). The surname moved down 527 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,301 to #9,828.
FAQ
Fann surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fann?
Name Census estimates that about 3,604 living Americans carry the surname Fann. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 95,104 residents.
How common is Fann?
Fann ranks #9,828 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.05 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 3,143 people with the surname Fann. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,604), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.05 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 Fann.
Has Fann become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fann went from 3,499 recorded bearers to 3,143. That is a decrease of 356 (-10.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,301 to #9,828.
What does the Census say about the background of Fann?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fann, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.3%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.4%). 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 Fann in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.3% (2,209 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fann appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.3%), Black (16.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.4%). 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 Fann (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 Fann mean?
An English surname derived from the Old English word "fann," meaning a marsh or muddy area. 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 Fann (1.05 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 Fann?
Find out how common the surname Fann is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.