2000
#4,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,745
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.87
Rare Last name
Fellows
An occupational surname referring to a partner or shareholder in a business or a companion in an organization.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,631 Americans carry the last name Fellows. That puts it at #4,569 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,712 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fellows 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 Fellows with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.6K
1 in 39,712
Census rank
#4,569
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,527 bearers of the surname Fellows in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4569th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fellows, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Black (5.6%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fellows
The surname Fellows has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "feolaga," which means companion or partner. In the early days, the name was often given to people who were members of a guild or fellowship.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fellows can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Felagh." This suggests that the name was already in use during the Norman Conquest of England.
During the 13th century, the name was commonly spelled as "Felawe" or "Felaw." It was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Herefordshire, where many Fellows families were based.
One notable historical figure with the surname Fellows was John Fellows (c. 1670-1724), an English painter and engraver who was best known for his portraits and landscapes. He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers and is regarded as one of the finest English artists of his time.
Another famous Fellows was Sir Charles Fellows (1799-1860), a British archaeologist and explorer who is credited with rediscovering several ancient cities in Asia Minor, including Xanthos and Tlos. His explorations and excavations contributed significantly to the understanding of classical Greek and Lycian civilizations.
In the 16th century, the name was sometimes associated with place names, such as Fellows Hill in Gloucestershire and Fellows Green in Worcestershire. These place names likely derived from individuals or families with the surname Fellows who lived or owned land in those areas.
John Fellows (c. 1605-1675) was an English Puritan minister and author who served as the rector of Awre in Gloucestershire. He was known for his religious writings and sermons, which were published during his lifetime.
Another notable figure was Robert Fellows (1840-1920), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York from 1889 to 1891.
Throughout its history, the surname Fellows has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, archaeologists, clergymen, and politicians, among others. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has since spread to other parts of the world, reflecting the diverse journeys and experiences of those who carry it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fellows
Among Census respondents with the surname Fellows, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Black (5.6%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Fellows 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 Fellows surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 6,537
- Black or African American5.6% · 418
- Two or more races3.3% · 248
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 230
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 62
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fellows
Fellows 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
#4,469
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,948
+203 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 2.69
Rank movement Down 233 places
2020
#4,569
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,527
-421 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 2.52
Rank movement Down 100 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,236 | 7,745 | 2.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,469 | 7,948 | 2.69 | +203 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 233 places |
| 2020 | #4,569 | 7,527 | 2.52 | -421 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 100 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 Fellows 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 | #4,469 | #4,569 | -2.2% |
| Count | 7,948 | 7,527 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.69 | 2.52 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fellows bearers went from 7,948 to 7,527 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 100 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,469 to #4,569.
FAQ
Fellows surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fellows?
Name Census estimates that about 8,631 living Americans carry the surname Fellows. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,712 residents.
How common is Fellows?
Fellows ranks #4,569 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.52 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,527 people with the surname Fellows. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,631), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.52 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Fellows.
Has Fellows become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fellows went from 7,948 recorded bearers to 7,527. That is a decrease of 421 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,469 to #4,569.
What does the Census say about the background of Fellows?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fellows, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Black (5.6%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Fellows in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (6,537 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fellows appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Black (5.6%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Fellows (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 Fellows mean?
An occupational surname referring to a partner or shareholder in a business or a companion in an organization. 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 Fellows (2.52 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 Fellows?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.