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

Fax, 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 Fax surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fax in America

Fax is the 107134th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fax surname appeared 166 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 Fax.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fax 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 Fax

The surname Fax originated in England, with its earliest known roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "fæx," which referred to "hair" or "mane." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone with a distinctive head of hair.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fax can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1190, where a certain Richard Fax is mentioned. Additionally, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 contain an entry for a Henry Fax residing in Oxfordshire.

In the 14th century, the Fax surname appeared in various spellings, such as Faxe, Faxce, and Fauxe, reflecting the evolving nature of English orthography during that time period. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 list a John Faxe from Worcestershire, while the Poll Tax of 1379 records a Thomas Faxce in Yorkshire.

The Fax name has also been associated with several place names throughout England. For instance, there is a village called Fax in Norfolk, which may have contributed to the surname's development. Additionally, the name could be linked to the town of Faxfleet in East Yorkshire, mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Faxeflet."

Notable individuals bearing the Fax surname include Sir John Fax (1495-1567), a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another notable figure was Sir Ralph Fax (1570-1632), a Member of Parliament and landowner from Yorkshire.

In the 17th century, the Fax surname gained recognition with the birth of James Fax (1649-1711), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Albury, Surrey. Additionally, the name appeared in the New World with the arrival of Thomas Fax (1620-1687), an early settler in Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Other individuals of note include Sir Francis Fax (1730-1801), a British naval officer who played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War, and John Fax (1765-1842), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London.

Throughout its history, the Fax surname has been associated with various professions and achievements, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have borne this name over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fax

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

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 Fax 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 Fax 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 Fax was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!