2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Fatum
A Latin surname meaning "fate" or "destiny."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Fatum. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fatum 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Fatum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fatum, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fatum
The surname FATUM originates from Latin and is derived from the word "fatum," which means "fate" or "destiny." It is believed to have emerged in ancient Rome, where it was likely used as a cognomen or a personal surname to denote someone's perceived connection to fate or destiny.
During the Roman era, the name FATUM was relatively uncommon, but it appeared in a few historical records and inscriptions. One notable example is Marcus Tullius Fatum, a Roman senator who lived in the 1st century BC and was mentioned in Cicero's writings.
As the Roman Empire expanded, the name FATUM spread to various regions, including parts of modern-day Italy, France, and Spain. In some areas, it evolved into different spellings or variations, such as Fatuum or Fatome.
In the Middle Ages, the name FATUM appeared in various medieval documents and manuscripts, particularly in regions with strong Roman influence. One notable example is the 12th-century monk and scholar Petrus Fatum, who authored several works on theology and philosophy.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname FATUM can be traced back to the 11th century in parts of northern Italy, where it was associated with noble families and landowners. During this time, the name was sometimes linked to place names or locations, such as the town of Fatum in the Veneto region.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname FATUM. One of the earliest was Giovanni Fatum, an Italian architect and sculptor who lived in the late 15th century and contributed to the construction of several churches and public buildings in Venice.
In the 16th century, the name FATUM gained prominence with the Italian philosopher and mathematician Girolamo Fatum (1501-1576), who made significant contributions to the fields of logic and mathematics.
Another notable individual was the French military commander and statesman Henri Fatum (1612-1688), who played a crucial role in the Wars of Religion and the Fronde rebellion in France.
In the 18th century, the English poet and writer Mary Fatum (1738-1809) gained recognition for her works, which explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
Lastly, one of the most recent notable figures with the surname FATUM was the Italian painter and sculptor Giacomo Fatum (1892-1978), whose works were heavily influenced by the Futurist movement and explored themes of modernity and industrialization.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fatum
Among Census respondents with the surname Fatum, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Fatum 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 Fatum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.4% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino10.7% · 11
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fatum
Fatum appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 5,530 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Up 5,530 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 Fatum 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 | #159,712 | #154,182 | 3.5% |
| Count | 101 | 103 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fatum bearers went from 101 to 103 (+2.0% change). The surname moved up 5,530 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #154,182.
FAQ
Fatum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fatum?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Fatum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Fatum?
Fatum ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Fatum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Fatum.
Has Fatum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fatum went from 101 recorded bearers to 103. That is an increase of 2 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Fatum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fatum, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.7%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Fatum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.4% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fatum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.4%), Hispanic (10.7%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Fatum (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 Fatum mean?
A Latin surname meaning "fate" or "destiny." 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 Fatum (0.03 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 Fatum?
You can see how many people are called Fatum on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.