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

Fisher, 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 Fisher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fisher in America

Fisher is the 112th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fisher surname appeared 214,703 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 73 people would have the surname Fisher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fisher 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 Fisher

The surname Fisher is an occupational name that originated in England. It derives from the Old English word "fiscere," meaning a fisher or someone who catches fish for a living. The name can be traced back to the 11th century, and it was likely first used to identify individuals who worked as fishermen.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Fisher surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book contains references to individuals with the surname Fisher, indicating that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Fisher surname was particularly prevalent in coastal regions of England, such as Cornwall, Devon, and Norfolk, where fishing was a significant industry. However, the name also appeared in other parts of the country, reflecting the mobility of people and the spread of the surname.

In the 13th century, the Fisher surname appeared in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were surveys of landholdings conducted by King Edward I. One notable example is William le Fisher, who was recorded as a resident of Gloucestershire in 1275.

Over the centuries, the Fisher surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest was John Fisher (c. 1469-1535), an English Catholic bishop, cardinal, and academic who played a significant role in the English Reformation. He was executed by King Henry VIII for refusing to accept the monarch's supremacy over the Church of England.

Another prominent figure with the Fisher surname was Jasper Fisher (c. 1591-1667), an English merchant and writer who published several books on trade and commerce. He was also involved in the establishment of the East India Company and served as its governor from 1658 to 1660.

In the arts, the Fisher surname has been carried by several renowned individuals, such as Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher (1908-1992), an American writer and culinary historian known for her pioneering works on food and travel writing.

Other notable individuals with the Fisher surname include Sir Andrew Fisher (1862-1928), an Australian politician who served as the fifth Prime Minister of Australia, and Sir Geoffrey Fisher (1887-1972), an English bishop who served as the 99th Archbishop of Canterbury from 1945 to 1961.

While the Fisher surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and other English-speaking countries, due to emigration and migration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fisher

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

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

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

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