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

Fenimore, 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 Fenimore surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fenimore in America

Fenimore is the 16315th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fenimore surname appeared 1,766 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Fenimore.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fenimore 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 Fenimore

The surname Fenimore is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "fen" meaning marsh or bog, and "mor" meaning a moor or wasteland. It is believed to have originated in the Middle Ages, likely referring to someone who lived near a marshy area or moorland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Fenimore can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire in 1197, where a person named Willelmus de Fenemore is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Fenemore, Fenmor, and Fenimor, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that period. Some records from this time include a Richard de Fenmor in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1236, and a William Fenimor mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1292.

The surname Fenimore is also associated with several place names in England, such as Fenimore Meadows in Buckinghamshire and Fenimore Fields in Oxfordshire. These place names likely derived from the Old English words "fen" and "mor," indicating the presence of marshlands or moorland in those areas.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Fenimore was James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851), the renowned American writer best known for his novels set in the frontier era, including "The Last of the Mohicans" and "The Leatherstocking Tales." Although born in New Jersey, his ancestors were English, and the surname Fenimore was likely derived from the same English roots.

Another prominent individual with the Fenimore surname was Thomas Fenimore Cooper (1839-1898), an American lawyer and writer who served as the United States Consul in Frankfurt, Germany. He was the grandson of James Fenimore Cooper.

In the 19th century, the surname Fenimore was also associated with the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, New York, founded in 1939 and named after James Fenimore Cooper. The museum houses a significant collection of American art and artifacts.

Other notable individuals with the Fenimore surname include Edward Fenimore Cooper (1808-1862), an American naval officer and author who wrote several books on naval history, and Susan Fenimore Cooper (1813-1894), the daughter of James Fenimore Cooper and an author in her own right, known for her works on rural life and nature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fenimore

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

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

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

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