2000
#14,387
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,908
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Fekete
A Hungarian surname meaning "black," often originally referring to someone with dark hair, dark complexion, or a gloomy personality.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,282 Americans carry the last name Fekete. That puts it at #14,439 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 150,199 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fekete 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 Fekete with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 150,199
Census rank
#14,439
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,990 bearers of the surname Fekete in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14439th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fekete, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fekete
The surname "FEKETE" is of Hungarian origin, derived from the Hungarian word "fekete" meaning "black" or "dark". This name likely originated in the medieval period, possibly as a nickname or descriptive term for someone with dark hair, a dark complexion, or dark clothing.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Fekete can be found in the Anjou-kori Okmánytár, a collection of medieval Hungarian charters and documents from the 14th century. The name appears in these records, indicating its usage during this time period in Hungary.
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Fekete was János Fekete, a Hungarian nobleman and military commander who served under King Matthias Corvinus. He played a significant role in the wars against the Ottoman Empire and was awarded lands and titles for his service.
During the 16th century, the Fekete family established themselves as landowners and nobles in various regions of Hungary. One prominent member was István Fekete, who lived from 1540 to 1604 and held the title of Lord of Galánta.
In the 17th century, the Fekete surname appeared in records related to the Hungarian Uprising against the Habsburgs. Mihály Fekete, born in 1630, was a military leader and supporter of Prince Ferenc Rákóczi II during this conflict.
The 19th century saw the emergence of several notable individuals with the surname Fekete. Móric Fekete (1833-1887) was a Hungarian painter and lithographer known for his landscapes and genre scenes. Another figure was János Fekete (1842-1916), a Hungarian writer and journalist who contributed significantly to the development of Hungarian literature.
Other notable individuals with the surname Fekete include Gyula Fekete (1922-2010), a Hungarian writer and screenwriter best known for his novels and children's books, and István Fekete (1900-1970), a Hungarian writer and naturalist celebrated for his works depicting rural life and the natural world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fekete
Among Census respondents with the surname Fekete, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Fekete 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 Fekete surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 1,868
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 63
- Two or more races1.9% · 38
- Black or African American0.6% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fekete
Fekete 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
#14,669
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,027
+119 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 282 places
2020
#14,439
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,990
-37 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Up 230 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,387 | 1,908 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,669 | 2,027 | 0.69 | +119 bearers (+6.2%) | Down 282 places |
| 2020 | #14,439 | 1,990 | 0.67 | -37 bearers (-1.8%) | Up 230 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 Fekete 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 | #14,669 | #14,439 | 1.6% |
| Count | 2,027 | 1,990 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.67 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fekete bearers went from 2,027 to 1,990 (-1.8% change). The surname moved up 230 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,669 to #14,439.
FAQ
Fekete surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fekete?
Name Census estimates that about 2,282 living Americans carry the surname Fekete. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 150,199 residents.
How common is Fekete?
Fekete ranks #14,439 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 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 1,990 people with the surname Fekete. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,282), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 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 Fekete.
Has Fekete become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fekete went from 2,027 recorded bearers to 1,990. That is a decrease of 37 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,669 to #14,439.
What does the Census say about the background of Fekete?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fekete, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Fekete in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (1,868 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fekete appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Fekete (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 Fekete mean?
A Hungarian surname meaning "black," often originally referring to someone with dark hair, dark complexion, or a gloomy personality. 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 Fekete (0.67 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 share the surname Fekete?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.