2000
#5,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,791
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.15
Rare Last name
Fender
An occupational surname referring to a person who mends or repairs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,635 Americans carry the last name Fender. That puts it at #5,770 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 51,659 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fender 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 Fender with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.6K
1 in 51,659
Census rank
#5,770
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,786 bearers of the surname Fender in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5770th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fender, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fender
The surname Fender has its origins in England and is believed to have first appeared in the 12th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old French word "fendeur," which means "to split or cleave." This suggests that the first bearers of this name were likely involved in woodworking or forestry professions, possibly as woodcutters or lumberjacks.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Fender surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1230, where it appears as "Robert le Fendur." This entry suggests that the name was already well-established in the region at that time. Additionally, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a "Walter le Fendur" in Oxfordshire.
During the medieval period, the Fender surname was also found in various other parts of England, including Suffolk, Norfolk, and Lincolnshire. Some variations in spelling, such as "Fendour" and "Fendor," were also common during this time.
A notable early bearer of the Fender surname was John Fender, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of York during the 15th century. He served as Lord Mayor of York in 1449 and played a significant role in the city's governance and trade.
Another individual of note was William Fender, born in 1585 in London. He was a successful businessman and landowner who acquired substantial property holdings in the city and surrounding areas.
In the 17th century, the Fender surname spread to other parts of the British Isles, including Scotland and Ireland. One notable figure from this period was Robert Fender, born in 1632 in Ayrshire, Scotland. He was a respected minister and theologian who served as a parish priest in the Church of Scotland.
Moving into the 18th century, the Fender surname continued to be well-represented in various professions and walks of life. One individual worth mentioning is James Fender, born in 1712 in Warwickshire, England. He was a renowned architect and surveyor who contributed to the design and construction of several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas.
In the 19th century, the Fender surname gained further recognition with individuals such as Charles Fender (1819-1890), a prominent English painter and illustrator known for his landscape paintings and book illustrations.
Throughout its history, the Fender surname has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, contributing to the rich tapestry of English cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fender
Among Census respondents with the surname Fender, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Fender 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 Fender surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 5,193
- Two or more races3.5% · 204
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 185
- Black or African American2.6% · 149
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fender
Fender 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
#5,743
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,034
+243 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 2.05
Rank movement Down 224 places
2020
#5,770
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,786
-248 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 1.94
Rank movement Down 27 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,519 | 5,791 | 2.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,743 | 6,034 | 2.05 | +243 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 224 places |
| 2020 | #5,770 | 5,786 | 1.94 | -248 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 27 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 Fender 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 | #5,743 | #5,770 | -0.5% |
| Count | 6,034 | 5,786 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.05 | 1.94 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fender bearers went from 6,034 to 5,786 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 27 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,743 to #5,770.
FAQ
Fender surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fender?
Name Census estimates that about 6,635 living Americans carry the surname Fender. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 51,659 residents.
How common is Fender?
Fender ranks #5,770 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.94 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 5,786 people with the surname Fender. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,635), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.94 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 Fender.
Has Fender become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fender went from 6,034 recorded bearers to 5,786. That is a decrease of 248 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,743 to #5,770.
What does the Census say about the background of Fender?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fender, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Fender in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (5,193 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fender appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Fender (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 Fender mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who mends or repairs. 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 Fender (1.94 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 Americans have the surname Fender?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.