2000
#2,193
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,220
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.64
Uncommon Last name
Fenton
From an English place name meaning "marsh town," or from a surname derived from this place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 17,200 Americans carry the last name Fenton. That puts it at #2,374 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 19,928 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fenton 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 Fenton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
17K
1 in 19,928
Census rank
#2,374
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
15K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,999 bearers of the surname Fenton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2374th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fenton, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.8%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fenton
Among Census respondents with the surname Fenton, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.8%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Fenton 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 Fenton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.8% · 12,717
- Black or African American6.8% · 1,017
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 574
- Two or more races3.3% · 499
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 119
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 73
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fenton
Fenton 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
#2,274
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,017
+797 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 5.43
Rank movement Down 81 places
2020
#2,374
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,999
-1,018 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 5.02
Rank movement Down 100 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,193 | 15,220 | 5.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,274 | 16,017 | 5.43 | +797 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 81 places |
| 2020 | #2,374 | 14,999 | 5.02 | -1,018 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 100 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 Fenton 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 | #2,274 | #2,374 | -4.4% |
| Count | 16,017 | 14,999 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 5.43 | 5.02 | -7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fenton bearers went from 16,017 to 14,999 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 100 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,274 to #2,374.
FAQ
Fenton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fenton?
Name Census estimates that about 17,200 living Americans carry the surname Fenton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 19,928 residents.
How common is Fenton?
Fenton ranks #2,374 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.02 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,999 people with the surname Fenton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (17,200), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.02 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Fenton.
Has Fenton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fenton went from 16,017 recorded bearers to 14,999. That is a decrease of 1,018 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,274 to #2,374.
What does the Census say about the background of Fenton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fenton, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.8%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Fenton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.8% (12,717 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fenton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.8%), Black (6.8%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Fenton (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 Fenton mean?
From an English place name meaning "marsh town," or from a surname derived from this place name. 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 Fenton (5.02 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 people share the surname Fenton?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.