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

Fenty, 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 Fenty surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fenty in America

Fenty is the 42237th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fenty surname appeared 514 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 Fenty.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fenty 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 Fenty

The surname Fenty is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "fen" meaning a marsh or low-lying wetland. It is believed to have originated as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near a fen or marshland area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Fenty can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Fenne" in reference to a place name. This suggests that the name has been in use since at least the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the surname appears in various records with spellings such as "Fenny" and "Fenni". These variations likely reflect the regional differences in pronunciation and spelling at the time.

A notable early bearer of the surname was Sir John Fenty, a knight who lived in the late 13th century. He is mentioned in several historical documents from the reign of King Edward I.

During the 16th century, the surname Fenty was particularly prevalent in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, where many marshlands and fens existed. The parish records of these regions contain numerous entries of Fenty families.

In the 17th century, a family of Fentys settled in the village of Tenterden, Kent. One member, Thomas Fenty, was a prominent landowner and served as a churchwarden in the local parish church in the late 1600s.

Another notable figure was William Fenty, born in 1712 in Lincolnshire. He was a successful merchant and philanthropist who donated funds for the construction of several churches and schools in his hometown.

In the 19th century, the surname Fenty can be found in various parts of England, including London, where a family of Fentys owned a successful brewery in the 1850s.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Fenty was Sir Charles Fenty, a renowned explorer and naturalist born in 1824 in Dorset. He is known for his expeditions to South America and his contributions to the field of botany.

While the surname Fenty is not among the most common in England, it has a long and rich history that can be traced back to the marshlands and fens of medieval times.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fenty

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

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

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

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