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

Fear, 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 Fear surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fear in America

Fear is the 18502nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fear surname appeared 1,493 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Fear.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fear 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 Fear

The surname Fear originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "fær," which meant "danger" or "peril." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived in a particularly hazardous area or worked in a dangerous occupation.

One of the earliest known references to the Fear surname can be found in the Domesday Book, which was compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name appears in the records of several counties, including Norfolk and Suffolk, indicating its widespread use in the region at the time.

In the 13th century, records show a William Fear residing in the village of Oxenhall, Gloucestershire. This may be one of the earliest documented instances of the surname in its modern spelling.

During the 14th century, the Fear surname was also associated with the village of Fearney, near Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire. It is possible that the name originated as a topographic surname, referring to someone who lived near a place called Fearney.

Notable individuals with the surname Fear throughout history include:

1. John Fear (c. 1550-1622), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of St. Giles' Church in Norwich.

2. William Fear (1624-1691), a English merchant and landowner who owned a large estate in Gloucestershire.

3. Elizabeth Fear (1670-1738), a British Quaker minister and author known for her religious writings.

4. Samuel Fear (1791-1865), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Old Vic Theatre.

5. William Fear (1823-1896), a British soldier and military engineer who served in the Crimean War and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery.

The Fear surname has also been associated with various place names over the centuries, such as Fearnhill in Gloucestershire, Fearnhead in Cheshire, and Fearn in Ross-shire, Scotland. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in different regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fear

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

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

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

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