2000
#3,069
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,836
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.02
Uncommon Last name
Fanning
Derived from an Irish surname meaning "descendant of Fainneán," a diminutive of "fann" meaning "fair" or "white."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,832 Americans carry the last name Fanning. That puts it at #3,389 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,968 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fanning 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 Fanning with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,968
Census rank
#3,389
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,318 bearers of the surname Fanning in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3389th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fanning, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fanning
The surname Fanning is of Irish origin and derives from the Gaelic personal name Fionnán, meaning "fair" or "white." The name was initially widespread in the counties of Tipperary, Limerick, and Cork, where it was particularly prevalent.
The earliest recorded instance of the Fanning surname dates back to the 13th century, appearing in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The Annals mention a prominent clan member, Domnall Ó Fionnáin, who was a notable figure during this period.
In the 16th century, the Fanning family was closely associated with the territory of Ormond, which encompassed parts of modern-day Tipperary and Kilkenny. Several members of the clan held influential positions within the Butler dynasty, who ruled over Ormond as earls.
One notable individual bearing the Fanning surname was Edmund Fanning (1737-1818), a British loyalist during the American Revolutionary War. He served as a lieutenant colonel in the King's American Regiment and later became the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
Another prominent figure was Nathaniel Fanning (1755-1805), an American naval officer and privateer during the American Revolutionary War. He famously captured several British ships and earned a reputation as a daring and skilled seaman.
In the 19th century, John Fanning Watson (1779-1860), an American writer and antiquarian, made significant contributions to the preservation of Philadelphia's history. His works, such as "Annals of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania in the Olden Time," became invaluable resources for understanding the city's early history.
In the realm of literature, Irish writer John Fanning (1855-1932) gained recognition for his novels and short stories, which often explored themes of Irish rural life. His works, including "Mr. Dooley's Philosophy" and "The Cheery Way," earned him critical acclaim.
Another notable bearer of the Fanning surname was Robert Fanning (1882-1942), an American inventor and engineer. He is credited with developing the first successful electric dishwasher, which revolutionized household appliances and paved the way for modern dishwashing technology.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fanning
Among Census respondents with the surname Fanning, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Fanning 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 Fanning surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.1% · 8,779
- Black or African American7.0% · 719
- Two or more races3.5% · 361
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 307
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 71
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fanning
Fanning 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
#3,284
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,007
+171 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 3.73
Rank movement Down 215 places
2020
#3,389
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,318
-689 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 3.45
Rank movement Down 105 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,069 | 10,836 | 4.02 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,284 | 11,007 | 3.73 | +171 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 215 places |
| 2020 | #3,389 | 10,318 | 3.45 | -689 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 105 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 Fanning 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 | #3,284 | #3,389 | -3.2% |
| Count | 11,007 | 10,318 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.73 | 3.45 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fanning bearers went from 11,007 to 10,318 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 105 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,284 to #3,389.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Fanning
FAQ
Fanning surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fanning?
Name Census estimates that about 11,832 living Americans carry the surname Fanning. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,968 residents.
How common is Fanning?
Fanning ranks #3,389 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.45 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,318 people with the surname Fanning. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,832), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.45 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Fanning.
Has Fanning become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fanning went from 11,007 recorded bearers to 10,318. That is a decrease of 689 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,284 to #3,389.
What does the Census say about the background of Fanning?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fanning, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Black (7.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Fanning in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.1% (8,779 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fanning appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.1%), Black (7.0%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Fanning (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 Fanning mean?
Derived from an Irish surname meaning "descendant of Fainneán," a diminutive of "fann" meaning "fair" or "white." 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 Fanning (3.45 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 are called Fanning?
Want to know how many people are called Fanning? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.