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

Fend, 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 Fend surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fend in America

Fend is the 101247th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fend surname appeared 178 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Fend.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fend 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 Fend

The surname Fend is believed to have originated in Germany, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "venden," which means "to defend" or "to ward off." This suggests that the name may have been originally given to someone who worked as a defender or protector, perhaps a soldier or a guard.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Fend can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus," a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony, dated around 1150. The name is also found in various other historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries, such as town registers and court documents, indicating that it was well-established in parts of Germany during this time period.

The spelling of the name has undergone some variations over the centuries, with "Fende" and "Fent" being among the older recorded forms. These variations likely reflect regional dialects and differences in pronunciation.

Notable individuals with the surname Fend include:

1. Johann Fend (1588-1644), a German composer and organist active in the early 17th century.
2. Georg Fend (1633-1701), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the development of telescopes.
3. Maria Fend (1769-1842), a German painter and engraver known for her intricate botanical illustrations.
4. Wilhelm Fend (1820-1891), a German engineer and inventor who patented several improvements to agricultural machinery in the mid-19th century.
5. Rudolph Fend (1856-1924), a German-born American industrialist who founded the Fend Motor Company, one of the earliest manufacturers of automobiles in the United States.

While the Fend surname has its roots in Germany, over time it has spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, as families migrated and settled in new areas. Today, the name can be found in various countries around the world, although it remains relatively uncommon overall.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fend

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

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

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

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