2000
#12,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,315
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Rare Last name
Fikes
Derived from the Middle English word "fike," meaning a deception or trick, likely referring to a trickster or cunning person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,662 Americans carry the last name Fikes. That puts it at #12,700 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 128,758 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fikes 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.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 128,758
Census rank
#12,700
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,321 bearers of the surname Fikes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12700th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fikes, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.2%. The next largest groups are Black (31.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fikes
The surname FIKES is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages, with its roots traced back to the Old English words "fic" and "fican," which referred to a small bay or inlet of water. It is thought that the name may have initially been a topographic surname, given to those who lived near such geographic features.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name FIKES can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, a historical record of financial transactions in the county, where a certain John Fikes was mentioned in 1195. This suggests that the surname was already in use by the late 12th century.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name appears to have spread across various regions of England, with variations in spelling such as Fykes, Fykis, and Fykys appearing in various historical documents. The Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landholdings in England, lists a Robert Fikes as a resident of Oxfordshire.
In the 15th century, the FIKES surname gained prominence in the county of Norfolk, where it was associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was John Fikes, a wealthy merchant and landowner born in 1432, who served as a bailiff and alderman in the city of Norwich.
Moving into the 16th century, the name FIKES can be found in various parish records and tax rolls across England. One notable bearer of the surname was William Fikes, born in 1548 in Gloucestershire, who was a prominent clothier and served as a churchwarden in his local parish.
As the centuries progressed, the FIKES surname continued to be represented across different regions of England, with some bearers achieving notable positions or accomplishments. For example, in the 18th century, James Fikes (1712-1789) was a respected physician and author from Yorkshire, known for his works on medical topics.
Other notable individuals with the FIKES surname throughout history include:
1. Thomas Fikes (1670-1742), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Nottinghamshire.
2. Elizabeth Fikes (1782-1856), a philanthropist and social reformer from Lancashire, known for her efforts in establishing schools and supporting charitable causes.
3. Henry Fikes (1815-1892), a British engineer and inventor who pioneered advancements in steam engine technology.
4. Robert Fikes (1876-1944), a British politician and member of parliament for the constituency of Bristol South from 1923 to 1935.
5. Dorothy Fikes (1904-1988), an acclaimed English novelist and poet, renowned for her vivid portrayals of rural life in the English countryside.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fikes
Among Census respondents with the surname Fikes, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.2%. The next largest groups are Black (31.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Fikes 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 Fikes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.2% · 1,397
- Black or African American31.7% · 735
- Two or more races4.7% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 66
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fikes
Fikes 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
#13,010
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,359
+44 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 693 places
2020
#12,700
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,321
-38 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 310 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,317 | 2,315 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,010 | 2,359 | 0.80 | +44 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 693 places |
| 2020 | #12,700 | 2,321 | 0.78 | -38 bearers (-1.6%) | Up 310 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 Fikes 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 | #13,010 | #12,700 | 2.4% |
| Count | 2,359 | 2,321 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 0.78 | -2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fikes bearers went from 2,359 to 2,321 (-1.6% change). The surname moved up 310 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,010 to #12,700.
FAQ
Fikes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fikes?
Name Census estimates that about 2,662 living Americans carry the surname Fikes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 128,758 residents.
How common is Fikes?
Fikes ranks #12,700 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,321 people with the surname Fikes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,662), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Fikes.
Has Fikes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fikes went from 2,359 recorded bearers to 2,321. That is a decrease of 38 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,010 to #12,700.
What does the Census say about the background of Fikes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fikes, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.2%. The next largest groups are Black (31.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Fikes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.2% (1,397 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fikes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.2%), Black (31.7%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Fikes (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 Fikes mean?
Derived from the Middle English word "fike," meaning a deception or trick, likely referring to a trickster or cunning person. 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 Fikes (0.78 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 Fikes?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.