2000
#4,910
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,574
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.44
Rare Last name
Fife
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from the name of the historic county of Fife in Scotland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,680 Americans carry the last name Fife. That puts it at #5,073 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 44,629 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fife 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 Fife with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.7K
1 in 44,629
Census rank
#5,073
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,697 bearers of the surname Fife in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5073rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fife, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fife
The surname Fife originated in Scotland, deriving from the medieval county of the same name located on the east coast of the country. The name is believed to have stemmed from the Gaelic term "fib," meaning "a small portion of land" or "a place apart."
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Fife date back to the 12th century, with mentions found in various charters and rolls from that era. One notable reference is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England, including individuals with the surname Fife.
In the 13th century, a prominent Scottish family bearing the name Fife held lands in the county of the same name. Sir Duncan de Fife, born around 1230, was a notable figure from this lineage and served as a trusted advisor to King Alexander III of Scotland.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Fife. However, it does mention the county of Fife, which was then known as "Fib" or "Fiffe," further reinforcing the connection between the surname and the region.
During the Middle Ages, the name Fife also appeared in various forms, such as "Fyfe," "Fiff," and "Fyfie," reflecting the historical variations in spelling and pronunciation.
Notable individuals with the surname Fife throughout history include:
1. Robert Fife (c. 1310 - c. 1370), a Scottish nobleman and military leader who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence under King Robert the Bruce.
2. William Fife (1857 - 1944), a renowned Scottish yacht designer and builder whose creations were highly sought after in the early 20th century.
3. James Fife, Jr. (1776 - 1848), an American politician and lawyer who served as a United States Senator from Vermont from 1835 to 1841.
4. Margaret Fife (c. 1530 - c. 1590), a Scottish noblewoman and philanthropist who founded several hospitals and schools in the county of Fife.
5. John Fife (1795 - 1857), a Scottish-born surveyor and explorer who played a significant role in mapping and settling parts of Australia in the early 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fife
Among Census respondents with the surname Fife, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Fife 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 Fife surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.4% · 5,652
- Black or African American6.3% · 419
- Two or more races4.0% · 268
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 236
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 64
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 58
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fife
Fife 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
#5,202
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,719
+145 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 2.28
Rank movement Down 292 places
2020
#5,073
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,697
-22 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 2.24
Rank movement Up 129 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,910 | 6,574 | 2.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,202 | 6,719 | 2.28 | +145 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 292 places |
| 2020 | #5,073 | 6,697 | 2.24 | -22 bearers (-0.3%) | Up 129 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 Fife 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 | #5,202 | #5,073 | 2.5% |
| Count | 6,719 | 6,697 | -0.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.28 | 2.24 | -1.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fife bearers went from 6,719 to 6,697 (-0.3% change). The surname moved up 129 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,202 to #5,073.
FAQ
Fife surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fife?
Name Census estimates that about 7,680 living Americans carry the surname Fife. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 44,629 residents.
How common is Fife?
Fife ranks #5,073 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.24 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,697 people with the surname Fife. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,680), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.24 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Fife.
Has Fife become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fife went from 6,719 recorded bearers to 6,697. That is a decrease of 22 (-0.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,202 to #5,073.
What does the Census say about the background of Fife?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fife, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Fife in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.4% (5,652 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fife appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.4%), Black (6.3%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Fife (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 Fife mean?
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from the name of the historic county of Fife in Scotland. 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 Fife (2.24 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 Americans have the surname Fife?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.