2000
#18,437
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,383
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.51
Rare Last name
Fillion
A French surname derived from the Latin "filius" meaning "son".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,342 Americans carry the last name Fillion. That puts it at #22,534 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 255,406 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fillion 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
1.3K
1 in 255,406
Census rank
#22,534
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,170 bearers of the surname Fillion in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22534th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fillion, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fillion
The surname Fillion is of French origin, originating in the northern regions of France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "filleul," meaning "godson" or "sponsor's son." This name likely began as a nickname or descriptive name given to someone who had a close relationship with their godparent or sponsor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fillion can be found in the Calendars of Documents preserved in the Archives of France, dating back to the 13th century. These records mention individuals with the surname Fillion residing in the regions of Normandy and Picardy.
In the 14th century, the name Fillion appeared in various historical records, such as tax rolls and parish registers, across northern France. It was often spelled in different variations, including Filion, Fillyon, and Fillionn, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal practices of the time.
The name Fillion is also associated with several notable figures throughout history. One such individual was Jean Fillion, a renowned French philosopher and theologian who lived from 1569 to 1638. He was known for his works on biblical exegesis and was highly regarded in academic circles of his time.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Michel Fillion, a French architect and urban planner who lived from 1683 to 1759. He was responsible for the design and construction of several significant buildings and public spaces in Paris during the reign of King Louis XV.
In the 19th century, Louis Fillion (1817-1892) was a French Catholic priest and biblical scholar. He is best known for his multi-volume commentary on the Old Testament, which was widely acclaimed for its scholarly depth and attention to detail.
The name Fillion has also been associated with various place names across France. For example, the village of Fillionville in the Normandy region is thought to have derived its name from an early bearer of the Fillion surname who resided there or was influential in the area.
Additionally, the surname Fillion has been borne by several other notable individuals throughout history, including the French writer and journalist Camille Fillion (1837-1891), the Canadian actor and director Nathan Fillion (born in 1971), and the French composer and organist Jean-Baptiste Fillion (1821-1884).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fillion
Among Census respondents with the surname Fillion, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Fillion 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 Fillion surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 1,082
- Two or more races3.0% · 35
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 9
- Black or African American0.5% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fillion
Fillion 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
#19,321
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,401
+18 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.47
Rank movement Down 884 places
2020
#22,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,170
-231 bearers (-16.5%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Down 3,213 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,437 | 1,383 | 0.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,321 | 1,401 | 0.47 | +18 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 884 places |
| 2020 | #22,534 | 1,170 | 0.39 | -231 bearers (-16.5%) | Down 3,213 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 Fillion 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 | #19,321 | #22,534 | -16.6% |
| Count | 1,401 | 1,170 | -16.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.47 | 0.39 | -16.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fillion bearers went from 1,401 to 1,170 (-16.5% change). The surname moved down 3,213 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,321 to #22,534.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Fillion
FAQ
Fillion surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fillion?
Name Census estimates that about 1,342 living Americans carry the surname Fillion. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 255,406 residents.
How common is Fillion?
Fillion ranks #22,534 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.39 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 1,170 people with the surname Fillion. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,342), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.39 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 Fillion.
Has Fillion become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fillion went from 1,401 recorded bearers to 1,170. That is a decrease of 231 (-16.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #19,321 to #22,534.
What does the Census say about the background of Fillion?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fillion, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Fillion in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (1,082 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fillion appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Fillion (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 Fillion mean?
A French surname derived from the Latin "filius" meaning "son". 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 Fillion (0.39 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 common is the surname Fillion?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Fillion at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.