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

Filson, 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 Filson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Filson in America

Filson is the 19567th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Filson surname appeared 1,379 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Filson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Filson 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 Filson

The surname Filson is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the northern counties, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "fil" or "fili," meaning "file" or "smooth," and the suffix "-son," indicating "son of." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to the occupation of a file maker or someone who smoothed or polished metal.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, dated around 1273, which mentions a William Fileson. The Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301 also include a reference to a Johannes Filsone.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Fylson, Filsone, and Filsonn, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that time period. The Pipe Rolls of Northumberland from 1332 document a Robert Fylson, while the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379 list a Johannes Filsonn.

The surname Filson may have also been associated with certain place names or locations. For instance, there is a village called Filsham in East Sussex, which could have influenced the development of the name in that region.

Among the notable individuals who bore the surname Filson throughout history are:

1. John Filson (c. 1753-1788), an American adventurer, surveyor, and author, known for his work "The Discovery, Settlement and Present State of Kentucke."

2. Sir William Filson (1560-1643), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1623.

3. Robert Filson (1678-1744), a Scottish minister and author who wrote "An Analysis of the Philosophical Works of the Late Lord Bolingbroke."

4. Mary Filson (1788-1867), an American educator and philanthropist who founded the Filson Historical Society in Louisville, Kentucky.

5. Edward Filson (1870-1938), a British architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Regent Palace Hotel.

While the surname Filson may have evolved over time and spread to different parts of the world, its origins can be traced back to the northern counties of England, where it likely originated as an occupational name related to file making or metal polishing.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Filson

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

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

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

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