2000
#121,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Farison
A surname derived from a Scottish place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Farison. 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 Farison 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 Farison 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 Farison, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Farison
The surname FARISON is believed to have originated in the English county of Yorkshire during the late medieval period, likely between the 13th and 15th centuries. Its roots can be traced back to the Old English words "fær" meaning journey or travel, and "sunu" meaning son, suggesting that the name might have initially referred to someone who frequently traveled or was a traveler's son.
One of the earliest known records of the name FARISON dates back to the late 14th century, appearing in the Yorkshire County records of 1379 as "Johanne Farisone". This entry suggests that the name had already been established in the region by that time.
Throughout the following centuries, the FARISON surname appeared in various historical documents and records across Yorkshire and the surrounding areas. For instance, the Subsidy Rolls of 1524 in Yorkshire mentioned a "Richard Farison", while the Parish Registers of Rotherham in 1592 recorded the marriage of "Thomas Farison".
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name FARISON was particularly prevalent in the Yorkshire towns of Doncaster and Sheffield, where several notable individuals bore this surname. One such person was John FARISON (1612-1680), a prominent merchant and landowner in Doncaster, whose family estate played a role in the English Civil War.
In the 18th century, the FARISON name spread further across England, with records showing individuals in counties such as Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. One notable figure was William FARISON (1745-1821), a respected theologian and author from Nottingham who published several influential works on religious philosophy.
As the Industrial Revolution took hold in the 19th century, many FARISON families migrated to urban centers like Manchester and Liverpool, seeking employment in the growing textile and manufacturing industries. This period saw the birth of several notable individuals bearing the FARISON surname, including the renowned engineer and inventor, Robert FARISON (1824-1892), credited with pioneering advancements in steam engine technology.
In the realm of arts and literature, the FARISON name was carried by the acclaimed poet and novelist, Emily FARISON (1867-1935), whose works captured the essence of Victorian society and explored the complexities of human relationships.
While the FARISON surname has its roots firmly planted in the English county of Yorkshire, it has since spread across the globe, carried by generations of individuals who have contributed to various fields and left their mark on history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Farison
Among Census respondents with the surname Farison, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Farison 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 Farison surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.2% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Farison
Farison 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-14 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,082 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-6 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,814 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,058 | 132 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 20,082 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 6,814 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 Farison 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 | #141,140 | #147,954 | -4.8% |
| Count | 118 | 112 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Farison bearers went from 118 to 112 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 6,814 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #147,954.
FAQ
Farison surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Farison?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Farison. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Farison?
Farison 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 Farison. 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 Farison.
Has Farison become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Farison went from 118 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Farison?
Among Census respondents with the surname Farison, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Farison in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.2% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Farison appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.2%), Hispanic (0.9%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Farison (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 Farison mean?
A surname derived from a Scottish place name. 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 Farison (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 surname Farison?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.