Find out how popular the last name Favor is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Favor.

Favor, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Favor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Favor in America

Favor is the 21895th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Favor surname appeared 1,186 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Favor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Favor to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Favor

The surname Favor is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "favor" which means "grace" or "goodwill." It is believed to have emerged in England during the 13th century as a descriptive surname, likely given to someone who was perceived as enjoying favor or goodwill from others.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Favor can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like survey conducted in 1273. This document mentions a John le Fauer, which is an early spelling variation of the modern Favor.

The Favor surname has been documented in various historical records throughout the centuries. In the 14th century, a man named William Favour was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire, dated 1317.

A notable bearer of the Favor surname was Sir John Favor, a prominent English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London during the 15th century. He was born around 1420 and served as the Master of the Mercers' Company in 1472.

Another historical figure with the Favor surname was William Favor, a Puritan minister who emigrated from England to Massachusetts in the 17th century. He was born in 1620 and served as the minister of the First Church in Andover, Massachusetts, from 1645 until his death in 1695.

In the 18th century, a man named John Favor was a distinguished architect and surveyor in London. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Church of St. Mary Aldermanbury, which was completed in 1781.

During the 19th century, a notable bearer of the Favor surname was Richard Favor, a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy. He was born in 1785 and rose to the rank of Admiral, participating in several significant naval battles during the Napoleonic Wars.

It is worth noting that the Favor surname has also been found in various place names throughout England, such as Favor Hill in Dorset and Favor's Green in Berkshire, further solidifying its historical roots in the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Favor

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Favor.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Favor was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Favor has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Favor was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Favor, please contact us.

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