2000
#1,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,928
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.72
Uncommon Last name
Farris
Derived from the Middle English and Old French "ferrier," an occupational surname for an ironworker or blacksmith.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 32,162 Americans carry the last name Farris. That puts it at #1,232 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 10,657 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Farris 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 Farris with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
32K
1 in 10,657
Census rank
#1,232
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
28K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 28,047 bearers of the surname Farris in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1232nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Farris, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Black (11.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Farris
The surname Farris has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the region of Portugal and Spain. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "farra," which means "abundance" or "prosperity." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to families who owned fertile lands or were prosperous farmers.
One of the earliest records of the name Farris can be found in the Inquisition records of Portugal from the 15th century. During this time, the Inquisition targeted individuals and families of Jewish descent, and many were forced to convert to Christianity or face persecution. It is possible that some families with the surname Farris were of Sephardic Jewish origin and may have adopted the name to conceal their Jewish heritage.
The name Farris also appears in various historic documents from Spain, particularly in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura. In the 16th century, there are records of a wealthy landowner named Juan Farris, who owned vast estates near Seville. It is believed that his family may have played a significant role in the agricultural development of the region.
During the colonial era, the surname Farris spread to various parts of the Spanish Empire, including the Americas. One notable individual was Pedro Farris, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in the early 16th century.
Another prominent figure with the surname Farris was Antonio Farris, a Spanish artist and architect who lived in the 17th century. He is best known for his contributions to the construction of the Cathedral of Seville, one of the largest and most impressive Gothic cathedrals in the world.
In the United States, the surname Farris can be traced back to the early 19th century, when many immigrants from Spain and Portugal arrived in the country. One notable individual was Robert Farris, a soldier and politician from Tennessee, who served as a United States Representative from 1847 to 1853.
Throughout history, the surname Farris has been associated with various professions, from landowners and farmers to artists, explorers, and politicians. While its exact origins may be shrouded in mystery, the name continues to carry a sense of prosperity and abundance, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the Iberian Peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Farris
Among Census respondents with the surname Farris, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Black (11.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Farris 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 Farris surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.4% · 21,994
- Black or African American11.9% · 3,344
- Two or more races4.7% · 1,326
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 998
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 217
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 168
Timeline
Historical Census data for Farris
Farris 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
#1,179
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 29,877
+949 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 10.13
Rank movement Down 71 places
2020
#1,232
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,047
-1,830 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 9.38
Rank movement Down 53 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,108 | 28,928 | 10.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,179 | 29,877 | 10.13 | +949 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 71 places |
| 2020 | #1,232 | 28,047 | 9.38 | -1,830 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 53 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 Farris 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 | #1,179 | #1,232 | -4.5% |
| Count | 29,877 | 28,047 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 10.13 | 9.38 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Farris bearers went from 29,877 to 28,047 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 53 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,179 to #1,232.
FAQ
Farris surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Farris?
Name Census estimates that about 32,162 living Americans carry the surname Farris. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 10,657 residents.
How common is Farris?
Farris ranks #1,232 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.38 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 28,047 people with the surname Farris. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (32,162), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.38 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Farris.
Has Farris become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Farris went from 29,877 recorded bearers to 28,047. That is a decrease of 1,830 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,179 to #1,232.
What does the Census say about the background of Farris?
Among Census respondents with the surname Farris, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Black (11.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Farris in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.4% (21,994 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Farris appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.4%), Black (11.9%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Farris (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 Farris mean?
Derived from the Middle English and Old French "ferrier," an occupational surname for an ironworker or blacksmith. 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 Farris (9.38 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 common is the surname Farris?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Farris at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.