2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fillar
An occupational surname derived from the term "filler" referring to a wood filler or caulker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Fillar. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fillar 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Fillar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fillar, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fillar
The surname Fillar is believed to have originated in the northern regions of England during the medieval period, specifically in the counties of Yorkshire and Northumberland. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "fillan," which means "to fell" or "to strike down," suggesting a possible connection to occupations such as woodcutters or soldiers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 12th century, where a certain Robert Fillar is mentioned as a taxpayer. In the 13th century, the name appears in the Assize Rolls of Northumberland, indicating that the family had established a presence in that area as well.
By the 14th century, the Fillar surname had begun to spread to other parts of England, with records showing individuals bearing the name in places like Lincolnshire and Suffolk. One notable figure from this era was John Fillar, a prominent merchant from York who was active in the city's trade guilds during the 1360s.
As the centuries passed, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, with forms like Filler, Fyllor, and Fyllar appearing in historical documents. One of the earliest known uses of the spelling "Fillar" can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire, where the baptism of a child named William Fillar was recorded in 1587.
In the 17th century, the Fillar family appears to have had a presence in the county of Essex, with records indicating that a certain Thomas Fillar owned land in the village of Sible Hedingham in the 1620s. Around the same time, another notable individual named Robert Fillar (1595-1663) was a prominent Puritan clergyman who served as the vicar of Ipswich in Suffolk.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Fillar surname continued to be found throughout various regions of England, with families bearing the name residing in areas such as Lancashire, Warwickshire, and Gloucestershire. One notable figure from this period was William Fillar (1743-1822), a respected physician and author from Shropshire who published several works on medical topics.
Throughout its history, the Fillar surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, tradesmen, clergymen, and professionals. While not a particularly common name, it has left its mark on the historical records of England, reflecting the rich tapestry of surnames that have evolved over the centuries in that country.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fillar
Among Census respondents with the surname Fillar, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Fillar 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 Fillar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 105
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fillar
Fillar 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,758 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+7 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,548 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 7,758 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.6%) | Up 6,548 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 Fillar 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 | #153,769 | #147,221 | 4.3% |
| Count | 106 | 113 | 6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fillar bearers went from 106 to 113 (+6.6% change). The surname moved up 6,548 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #147,221.
FAQ
Fillar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fillar?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Fillar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Fillar?
Fillar ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Fillar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Fillar.
Has Fillar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fillar went from 106 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 7 (+6.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Fillar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fillar, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Fillar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fillar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Fillar (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 Fillar mean?
An occupational surname derived from the term "filler" referring to a wood filler or caulker. 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 Fillar (0.04 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 Fillar?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.