2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Fanson
A surname derived from the Old French word "fan", meaning a fool or simpleton.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Fanson. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fanson 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Fanson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fanson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Black (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fanson
The surname Fanson has its origins in England, with records of the name dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "fana" and "sunu," meaning "son of the banner-bearer" or "son of the standard-bearer." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have been individuals tasked with carrying the banners or standards during battles or military campaigns.
One of the earliest recorded references to the Fanson name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a Richard Fanson. Another early record is the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, which lists a Thomas Faneson.
In the 15th century, the Fanson name appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a John Fanson is mentioned in 1439. This suggests that the name had spread to various parts of England by that time.
The Fanson surname has also been associated with place names, particularly in the county of Lancashire. The town of Fanshawe, mentioned in records as early as the 16th century, is believed to have derived its name from the Fanson family who may have resided there or owned land in the area.
Notable individuals with the Fanson surname include:
1. William Fanson (c. 1560-1630), an English clergyman and author who wrote a treatise on the sacraments.
2. John Fanson (c. 1610-1678), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Southwark.
3. Elizabeth Fanson (c. 1645-1720), an English poet and playwright whose works were popular during the Restoration period.
4. Thomas Fanson (c. 1680-1745), a British merchant and philanthropist who established a charitable foundation in London.
5. James Fanson (c. 1785-1862), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became an admiral in the Royal Navy.
While the Fanson name has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, this report focuses solely on the historical origins and early records of the surname in its country of origin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fanson
Among Census respondents with the surname Fanson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Black (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Fanson 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 Fanson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 99
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fanson
Fanson 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-17 bearers (-13.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,821 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,834 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.8%) | Down 25,821 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 2,834 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 Fanson 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 | #153,769 | #150,935 | 1.8% |
| Count | 106 | 108 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fanson bearers went from 106 to 108 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 2,834 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #150,935.
FAQ
Fanson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fanson?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Fanson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Fanson?
Fanson ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Fanson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Fanson.
Has Fanson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fanson went from 106 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Fanson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fanson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Black (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Fanson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fanson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Black (2.8%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Fanson (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 Fanson mean?
A surname derived from the Old French word "fan", meaning a fool or simpleton. 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 Fanson (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 are called Fanson?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Fanson is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.