2000
#6,881
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,503
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.67
Rare Last name
Fears
An English surname derived from the Old English word "fere," meaning companion or comrade.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,268 Americans carry the last name Fears. That puts it at #7,042 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 65,063 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fears 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 Fears with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.3K
1 in 65,063
Census rank
#7,042
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,594 bearers of the surname Fears in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7042nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fears, the largest self-reported group is White at 44.9%. The next largest groups are Black (44.3%) and Two or More Races (6.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fears
The surname Fears is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "fær," which means "danger" or "calamity." It is believed to have originated as a descriptive surname, given to someone who lived in a perilous area or was known for their fearless nature.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century in various parts of England, such as Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a reference to a William le Fere, which is likely an early spelling variation of the name.
During the medieval period, the name Fears appeared in several historical documents, including the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1301, where a John Fere is mentioned. The Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327 also record a Robert le Fere.
One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Fears, a prominent English soldier who fought in the Wars of the Roses during the 15th century. He was knighted for his bravery on the battlefield and served under King Edward IV.
In the 16th century, the name Fears was associated with several places in England, such as Fearshill in County Durham and Fearswood in Staffordshire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, reflecting the presence of Fears families in those areas.
Another significant figure was Robert Fears, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in Gloucestershire during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was known for his extensive estates and involvement in local affairs.
In the 18th century, the name Fears gained further prominence with the birth of William Fears (1718-1796), a renowned English clergyman and scholar. He served as the Rector of Staines in Middlesex and was respected for his theological writings and sermons.
One of the most famous bearers of the Fears surname was the English novelist and playwright, Mary Fears (1803-1871). She was a prolific writer and is best known for her novels depicting the lives of the upper classes in Victorian England.
The 19th century also saw the birth of Sir Edward Fears (1832-1911), an influential British businessman and philanthropist. He made his fortune in the textile industry and was knighted for his charitable contributions to various causes.
Throughout its history, the surname Fears has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including soldiers, clergymen, writers, and industrialists, all contributing to the rich tapestry of English heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fears
Among Census respondents with the surname Fears, the largest self-reported group is White at 44.9%. The next largest groups are Black (44.3%) and Two or More Races (6.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Fears 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 Fears surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White44.9% · 2,061
- Black or African American44.3% · 2,034
- Two or more races6.2% · 283
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 166
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fears
Fears 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
#7,027
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,762
+259 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 1.61
Rank movement Down 146 places
2020
#7,042
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,594
-168 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.54
Rank movement Down 15 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,881 | 4,503 | 1.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,027 | 4,762 | 1.61 | +259 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 146 places |
| 2020 | #7,042 | 4,594 | 1.54 | -168 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 15 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 Fears 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 | #7,027 | #7,042 | -0.2% |
| Count | 4,762 | 4,594 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.61 | 1.54 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fears bearers went from 4,762 to 4,594 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 15 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,027 to #7,042.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Fears
FAQ
Fears surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fears?
Name Census estimates that about 5,268 living Americans carry the surname Fears. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 65,063 residents.
How common is Fears?
Fears ranks #7,042 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.54 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,594 people with the surname Fears. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,268), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.54 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Fears.
Has Fears become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fears went from 4,762 recorded bearers to 4,594. That is a decrease of 168 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,027 to #7,042.
What does the Census say about the background of Fears?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fears, the largest self-reported group is White at 44.9%. The next largest groups are Black (44.3%) and Two or More Races (6.2%). 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 Fears in the 2020 Census, accounting for 44.9% (2,061 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fears appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (44.9%), Black (44.3%), Two or More Races (6.2%). 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 Fears (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 Fears mean?
An English surname derived from the Old English word "fere," meaning companion or comrade. 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 Fears (1.54 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 Fears?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Fears on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.