2000
#7,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,910
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.45
Rare Last name
Fant
Derived from the Old Norse word "fant," meaning a person who is foolish, silly, or a buffoon.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,272 Americans carry the last name Fant. That puts it at #8,502 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 80,233 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fant 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 Fant with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 80,233
Census rank
#8,502
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,725 bearers of the surname Fant in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8502nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fant, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.7%. The next largest groups are Black (34.2%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fant
The surname FANT is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "fant," which means "infant" or "child." This suggests that the name may have been originally given as a nickname to someone who was small or youthful in appearance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name FANT can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land and landholders commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman Conquest of England. In this document, the name appears as "Fante," likely referring to an individual or family residing in one of the areas surveyed.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, various spellings of the name began to emerge, such as "Faunte" and "Faunt." These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the interpretations of scribes who recorded the name.
In the 16th century, the FANT surname was particularly prevalent in the county of Gloucestershire, where it was associated with several prominent families. One notable figure from this era was John Fant (c. 1550-1616), a Catholic priest and author who wrote a history of the county.
Another individual of note was Sir Francis Fant (1592-1674), an English politician and lawyer who served as a member of parliament and held the position of Recorder of Gloucester. He was also involved in the establishment of the Gloucestershire County Library.
In the 18th century, the surname FANT appeared in various parts of England, including Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. One notable bearer of the name was William Fant (1724-1799), an English clergyman and antiquarian who wrote extensively on the history and antiquities of Oxfordshire.
Moving into the 19th century, the FANT surname continued to be found throughout England, with some families also settling in other parts of the British Isles. A notable figure from this period was George Henry Fant (1844-1913), a British architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Royal School of Art in London.
While the FANT surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, due to immigration and family migrations over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fant
Among Census respondents with the surname Fant, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.7%. The next largest groups are Black (34.2%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Fant 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 Fant surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.7% · 2,111
- Black or African American34.2% · 1,273
- Two or more races4.9% · 181
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 121
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fant
Fant 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
#8,055
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,111
+201 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Down 201 places
2020
#8,502
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,725
-386 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Down 447 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,854 | 3,910 | 1.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,055 | 4,111 | 1.39 | +201 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 201 places |
| 2020 | #8,502 | 3,725 | 1.25 | -386 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 447 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 Fant 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 | #8,055 | #8,502 | -5.5% |
| Count | 4,111 | 3,725 | -9.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.39 | 1.25 | -10.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fant bearers went from 4,111 to 3,725 (-9.4% change). The surname moved down 447 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,055 to #8,502.
FAQ
Fant surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fant?
Name Census estimates that about 4,272 living Americans carry the surname Fant. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 80,233 residents.
How common is Fant?
Fant ranks #8,502 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.25 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 3,725 people with the surname Fant. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,272), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.25 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 Fant.
Has Fant become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fant went from 4,111 recorded bearers to 3,725. That is a decrease of 386 (-9.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,055 to #8,502.
What does the Census say about the background of Fant?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fant, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.7%. The next largest groups are Black (34.2%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Fant in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.7% (2,111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fant appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.7%), Black (34.2%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Fant (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 Fant mean?
Derived from the Old Norse word "fant," meaning a person who is foolish, silly, or a buffoon. 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 Fant (1.25 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 Fant?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Fant, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.