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

Fine, 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 Fine surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fine in America

Fine is the 3097th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fine surname appeared 11,618 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Fine.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fine 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 Fine

The surname Fine is of English origin, and it is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old French word "fin," which means "fine" or "noble." It was likely given as a nickname to someone who had a refined or distinguished manner.

In medieval times, surnames were often descriptive and based on a person's appearance, occupation, or personal characteristics. The name Fine may have been used to refer to someone who was seen as elegant or of high social status.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Fine can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were a survey of landowners in England. The name appears as "le Fyn," which supports the theory of its French origin.

Another early reference to the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1307, where a person named Richard le Fyne is mentioned. This indicates that the surname was already well-established in England by the early 14th century.

During the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, several notable individuals bore the surname Fine. One example is John Fine (c. 1480 - c. 1540), who was an English translator and scholar known for his translations of works by Erasmus and other humanist writers.

In the 16th century, there was a family of Fine landowners in the county of Northamptonshire, England. The most prominent member of this family was Sir John Fine (1528 - 1589), who served as a Member of Parliament and High Sheriff of Northamptonshire.

Another significant figure with the surname Fine was Sir Christopher Fine (c. 1580 - 1644), who was a prominent English lawyer and politician during the reign of King Charles I. He served as a Member of Parliament and was involved in important legal cases of his time.

In the 17th century, the name Fine was also found in other parts of England, such as Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, where it may have been associated with place names derived from the Old English word "fenn," meaning "marsh" or "fen."

Over the centuries, the surname Fine has been spelled in various ways, including Fyne, Fynn, and Fynne, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common before standardized spelling became widespread.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fine

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

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

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

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