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

Fennimore, 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 Fennimore surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fennimore in America

Fennimore is the 31383rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fennimore surname appeared 738 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 Fennimore.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fennimore 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 Fennimore

The surname Fennimore has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "fen" and "mor," meaning "fen" or "marsh" and "moor" or "wasteland," respectively. This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a marshy or moorland area.

The earliest known record of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, with variations in spelling such as Fennemore, Fennimore, and Fenmore. It is likely that the name originated in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, or Norfolk, where there were large areas of fenland and marshes.

In the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are no direct references to the surname Fennimore. However, there are mentions of place names that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as Fenhamstede (now Felmersham) in Bedfordshire and Fenemere (now Fenmore) in Oxfordshire.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Fennimore was John Fennimore, who was born in Suffolk, England, around 1520. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Fennimore (1558-1633), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the City of London.

In the 17th century, the name began to appear in colonial America. One of the most famous individuals with this surname 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 Deerslayer."

Other notable individuals with the Fennimore surname include:

1. William Fennimore (1776-1845), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey.

2. Thomas Fennimore (1800-1867), an English architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

3. Mary Fennimore (1856-1932), an American educator and activist who campaigned for women's suffrage and founded the New Jersey College for Women (now Douglass Residential College at Rutgers University).

4. Edward Fennimore (1890-1966), an American artist and illustrator known for his paintings depicting scenes from the American West and the lives of Native Americans.

5. James Fennimore (1912-1988), an American businessman and philanthropist who donated significant funds to various educational and cultural institutions, including the Fennimore Art Museum in his hometown of Decatur, Illinois.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fennimore

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

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

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

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