2000
#16,471
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,607
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.60
Rare Last name
Fearon
Derived from the Irish Gaelic "O'Fearain," meaning "descendant of Fearan," a personal name of uncertain origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,407 Americans carry the last name Fearon. That puts it at #13,789 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,399 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fearon 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 Fearon with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 142,399
Census rank
#13,789
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,099 bearers of the surname Fearon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13789th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fearon, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.9%. The next largest groups are Black (44.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fearon
The surname Fearon is of Irish origin, originating from the Gaelic surname Ó Faracháin. It is derived from the Irish personal name Farachán, which means "pleasant" or "beloved." The name can be traced back to the 11th century in County Cork, Ireland.
In ancient Irish records, the name appears as early as the 12th century, with references to the Fearon family in the Annals of Inisfallen. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Donogh O'Fearon, who was mentioned in a land deed in County Cork in 1196.
The Fearon family was prominent in County Cork and surrounding areas during the medieval period. They were part of the Gaelic nobility and held significant landholdings in the region. The name can also be found in historical documents related to the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Fearon surname underwent various spelling variations, including Feeran, Feerann, and Feraun. These variations were likely due to the anglicization of the name and the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.
One notable figure bearing the Fearon surname was Sir William Fearon (1572-1638), an Irish landowner and politician who served as a member of the Irish Parliament for County Cork. He played a significant role in the political affairs of the region during the early 17th century.
Another prominent individual was John Fearon (1768-1837), an English writer and traveler who published several books about his travels in the United States and Canada. His works provided valuable insights into the social and political climate of the early 19th century in North America.
In the 19th century, the Fearon surname was also associated with the town of Fearon, located in County Cork. This place name likely derived from the Fearon family's historical connection to the area.
Other notable individuals with the Fearon surname include:
1. Henry Bradshaw Fearon (1796-1849), an English novelist and playwright.
2. Robert Fearon (1892-1978), an Australian politician and member of the Australian House of Representatives.
3. Denis Fearon (1920-2008), an English actor known for his roles in television and film.
4. William Robert Fearon (1856-1944), an Irish-born American businessman and philanthropist.
5. Patrick Fearon (born 1953), an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for the Derry senior football team.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fearon
Among Census respondents with the surname Fearon, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.9%. The next largest groups are Black (44.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Fearon 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 Fearon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White48.9% · 1,027
- Black or African American44.6% · 937
- Two or more races2.9% · 60
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 57
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fearon
Fearon 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
#14,768
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,011
+404 bearers (+25.1%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 1,703 places
2020
#13,789
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,099
+88 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 979 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,471 | 1,607 | 0.60 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,768 | 2,011 | 0.68 | +404 bearers (+25.1%) | Up 1,703 places |
| 2020 | #13,789 | 2,099 | 0.70 | +88 bearers (+4.4%) | Up 979 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 Fearon 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 | #14,768 | #13,789 | 6.6% |
| Count | 2,011 | 2,099 | 4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.70 | 3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fearon bearers went from 2,011 to 2,099 (+4.4% change). The surname moved up 979 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,768 to #13,789.
FAQ
Fearon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fearon?
Name Census estimates that about 2,407 living Americans carry the surname Fearon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,399 residents.
How common is Fearon?
Fearon ranks #13,789 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,099 people with the surname Fearon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,407), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Fearon.
Has Fearon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fearon went from 2,011 recorded bearers to 2,099. That is an increase of 88 (+4.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,768 to #13,789.
What does the Census say about the background of Fearon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fearon, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.9%. The next largest groups are Black (44.6%) 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 Fearon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.9% (1,027 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fearon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (48.9%), Black (44.6%), 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 Fearon (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 Fearon mean?
Derived from the Irish Gaelic "O'Fearain," meaning "descendant of Fearan," a personal name of uncertain origin. 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 Fearon (0.70 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 are called Fearon?
See how many Americans have the surname Fearon on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.