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

Fenwick, 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 Fenwick surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fenwick in America

Fenwick is the 7254th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fenwick surname appeared 4,597 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Fenwick.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fenwick 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 Fenwick

The surname Fenwick originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "fenn" meaning marsh or fen, and "wic" meaning a dwelling or farm, suggesting that the name referred to someone who lived near a marsh or fen.

One of the earliest known references to the name Fenwick can be found in the Assize Rolls of Northumberland in 1268, where a Robert de Fenewyk is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1273, where a William de Fenewyk is recorded.

The Fenwick surname is closely associated with the village of Fenwick in Northumberland, which was likely the original home of the family. It is believed that the Fenwicks were landowners and influential figures in the area during the Middle Ages.

In the 14th century, a Sir John Fenwick was a prominent knight and landowner in Northumberland. He was involved in the Anglo-Scottish Wars and fought alongside King Edward III at the Battle of Neville's Cross in 1346.

Another notable figure was Sir Ralph Fenwick, who lived in the late 15th century and was a supporter of the House of Lancaster during the Wars of the Roses. He was knighted for his service to Henry VII after the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.

In the 16th century, Sir John Fenwick (1549-1597) was a Member of Parliament for Northumberland and a renowned soldier who fought against the Spanish Armada in 1588.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Sir John Fenwick (1615-1697) was a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and was involved in several military campaigns. He was later implicated in a plot to assassinate King William III and was executed for treason in 1697.

The Fenwick surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Fenwick in Yorkshire, Fenwick Tower in Northumberland, and Fenwick Wood in Cumbria, reflecting the family's historical ties to these areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fenwick

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

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

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

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