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

Fénelon, 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 Fénelon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fénelon in America

Fénelon is the 23002nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fénelon surname appeared 1,111 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 Fénelon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fénelon 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 Fénelon

The surname FENELON originates from France and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "fenouil," meaning fennel, which suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who cultivated or sold this herb.

The earliest recorded instances of the name FENELON can be traced back to the 12th century in the northern regions of France, particularly in the areas around Paris and Normandy. In ancient records, the name appeared with various spellings, such as Fenelon, Fenouillot, and Fenouillet.

One of the earliest known references to the FENELON name can be found in the Cartulary of the Abbey of Saint-Père de Chartres, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 12th century. This document mentions a certain "Radulphus de Fenelon" as a witness to a land transaction.

In the 13th century, the FENELON name gained prominence with the rise of a noble family in the Périgord region of southwestern France. This family produced several notable figures, including François de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon (1651-1715), a renowned French writer, theologian, and Archbishop of Cambrai.

Another notable figure bearing the FENELON surname was Gabriel-Jacques de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon (1688-1746), a French diplomat and ambassador to the Netherlands. He played a significant role in negotiating the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, which ended the War of the Spanish Succession.

In the 16th century, a branch of the FENELON family settled in the town of Sainte-Mondane, located in the Dordogne region of France. The village's name was eventually changed to Fenelon-Salignac in honor of this influential family.

Other notable individuals with the FENELON surname include:

1. Bertrand de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon (1589-1662), a French nobleman and military commander during the Thirty Years' War.
2. François de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon (1651-1715), a French writer, theologian, and Archbishop of Cambrai, known for his influential work "The Adventures of Telemachus."
3. Gabrielle de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon (1648-1718), a French noblewoman and sister of François de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon.
4. Jacques de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon (1661-1719), a French nobleman and diplomat who served as ambassador to the Netherlands.
5. Jean-Baptiste de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon (1682-1759), a French prelate and nephew of François de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fénelon

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

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

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

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