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

Fire, 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 Fire surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fire in America

Fire is the 56710th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fire surname appeared 360 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 Fire.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fire 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 Fire

The surname FIRE is of English origin, traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "fyr" or "fyr-en," meaning fire or a place where fires were lit. This surname likely originated as a descriptive name, referring to someone who lived near a source of fire or worked with fire, such as a blacksmith or a glassmaker.

The earliest recorded instance of the FIRE surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a person named Ricardus Fyre is mentioned. This document provides evidence of the surname's existence during the medieval period in England.

In the 14th century, the FIRE surname appeared in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, where a William Fyre was listed. Other early spellings include Fyre, Fyre, and Fyre, reflecting the variations in spelling during that era.

One notable historical figure with the FIRE surname was Sir John Fire (c. 1490-1555), a prominent English judge and politician during the reign of Henry VIII. He served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer and was knighted in 1544.

Another individual of note was Thomas Fire (1590-1671), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of Sion College in London and was known for his theological writings.

In the 17th century, the FIRE surname was documented in various parish records across England. For instance, in 1642, the baptism of John Fire was recorded in the parish of St. Giles, Cripplegate, London.

During the 18th century, the FIRE surname gained further recognition with individuals like Richard Fire (1730-1810), a successful merchant and philanthropist in Bristol, England. He was known for his charitable contributions to local hospitals and educational institutions.

Another notable figure was Sir Archibald Fire (1760-1832), a Scottish naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. He was awarded the prestigious Order of the Bath for his distinguished service.

In the 19th century, the FIRE surname continued to be well-represented, with individuals such as Elizabeth Fire (1815-1892), an English writer and educator who authored several books on history and geography.

While the FIRE surname has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, its earliest roots can be traced back to the medieval period in England, where it likely emerged as a descriptive name associated with fire or the occupation of working with fire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fire

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!