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

Fish, 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 Fish surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fish in America

Fish is the 1425th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fish surname appeared 24,924 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Fish.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fish 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 Fish

The surname "FISH" is an English surname derived from the Old English word "fisc", which means "fish". It is an occupational surname that originated in England during the Middle Ages, likely referring to a person who caught or sold fish.

The name can be traced back to the 12th century, with early recorded instances found in various historical documents and records. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert le Fisshere, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholders in England compiled in 1086, does not include the surname "FISH" itself, but it does list several individuals with occupational names related to fishing, such as "Piscator" (Latin for "fisherman").

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various spellings, including "le Fisschere", "le Fyssher", and "le Fisshere". These variations reflect the evolution of the English language and the different ways the name was recorded by scribes at the time.

Over the centuries, the surname "FISH" has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded was John Fish (c. 1435 - c. 1501), an English statesman and lawyer who served as the Keeper of the Privy Seal under King Henry VII.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Simon Fish (c. 1520 - c. 1531), an English Protestant reformer and author who wrote the influential pamphlet "A Supplication for the Beggars" in 1529, criticizing the wealth and corruption of the Catholic Church.

In the 17th century, John Fish (1625 - 1692) was an English minister who served as the rector of Wilby, Northamptonshire, and wrote several religious works.

The 18th century saw the rise of John Fish (1718 - 1795), an English painter and engraver known for his landscapes and topographical views.

In more recent history, Hamilton Fish III (1888 - 1991) was a notable American politician who served as a Representative and Senator from New York, as well as the 16th Governor of the state from 1949 to 1955.

While the surname "FISH" is not as common as some other English surnames, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fish

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Fish, 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!