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

Fentress, 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 Fentress surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fentress in America

Fentress is the 12694th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fentress surname appeared 2,432 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 Fentress.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fentress 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 Fentress

The surname Fentress has its origins in England, tracing back to the early Middle Ages. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the Old English words "fen" meaning marsh or boggy area, and "trisc" meaning a thicket or brushwood. This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived near a marshy, brushy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Fentriz." This suggests that the surname was already established in parts of England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Fentriche" and "Fentrice," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling during that era. The earliest known bearer of the name was Roger de Fentris, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1195.

Over the centuries, the name has been associated with various locations in England, particularly in the counties of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. The village of Fentridge in Oxfordshire may have contributed to the development of the surname.

Notable historical figures with the surname Fentress include Sir John Fentress (1516-1587), who was a member of the English Parliament and served as a justice of the peace in Oxfordshire. Another prominent individual was Thomas Fentress (1701-1768), an English clergyman and author who wrote several theological works.

In the Americas, one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname was William Fentress, who arrived in Virginia in 1638. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of the United States, including Tennessee and Arkansas.

Other notable bearers of the Fentress surname throughout history include James Fentress (1763-1843), an American politician and judge who served as the second Governor of Arkansas; and Walter Fentress (1871-1952), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Fentress County Bank in Tennessee.

Overall, the surname Fentress has a rich history that spans several centuries and can be traced back to its Old English roots, reflecting the importance of locational names in the development of English surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fentress

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

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

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

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