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

Fenton, 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 Fenton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fenton in America

Fenton is the 2274th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fenton surname appeared 16,017 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Fenton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fenton 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 Fenton

The surname Fenton originated in England and traces its history back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "fenn" meaning marsh or fen, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement, suggesting that the name refers to a person who lived near a marsh or fen.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fenton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Fentun" and "Fenyton." This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, the name Fenton appeared in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it was spelled "Fenton" and "Fentun." During this time, the name was most commonly found in the counties of Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire.

Several notable individuals have borne the surname Fenton throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir Geoffrey Fenton (c. 1285 - c. 1350), a prominent English landowner and knight who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence. Another was Sir Thomas Fenton (c. 1480 - 1544), a court official and diplomat who served under King Henry VIII.

In the 16th century, the surname Fenton gained prominence with Edward Fenton (c. 1550 - 1603), an English navigator and explorer who led expeditions to the East Indies and the West Indies. His contemporary, Sir Geoffrey Fenton (c. 1539 - 1608), was an Irish historian and author who served as the Secretary of State for Ireland.

The 17th century saw the birth of Roger Fenton (1619 - 1669), an English theologian and writer who served as the Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge. Another notable figure was Elijah Fenton (1683 - 1730), an English poet and writer who is best known for his translations of classical works.

In the 18th century, the name Fenton was associated with Lavinia Fenton (1708 - 1760), an English actress and singer who achieved fame for her performance in the play "The Beggar's Opera." Additionally, Fenton is also the name of a town in Staffordshire, England, which likely derived its name from the surname.

Throughout its history, the surname Fenton has been associated with various place names and locations, including Fenton in Lincolnshire, Fenton in Staffordshire, and Fenton in Yorkshire, among others. These place names are thought to have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fenton

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

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

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

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