2000
#4,774
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,777
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.51
Rare Last name
Fishman
An occupational surname referring to a fisherman or seller of fish.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,533 Americans carry the last name Fishman. That puts it at #5,146 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 45,500 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fishman surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Fishman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.5K
1 in 45,500
Census rank
#5,146
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,569 bearers of the surname Fishman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5146th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fishman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fishman
The surname Fishman has its origins in medieval England, deriving from the Middle English term "fishere" or "fisshere," which referred to an individual whose occupation was fishing. This name first appeared in records dating back to the 13th century, reflecting the growing prevalence of hereditary surnames during this period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a certain William le Fysshere is mentioned. This entry provides insight into the occupational nature of the surname and its association with the fishing trade.
The Fishman surname likely originated in coastal regions or areas near major rivers and lakes, where fishing served as a vital economic activity. It is closely related to other English surnames derived from occupations, such as Miller, Baker, and Cooper.
As time passed, variations in spelling emerged, including Fysshman, Fisshman, and Fischman, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic evolution. These variations persisted until the standardization of English spelling in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Notable individuals bearing the Fishman surname include John Fishman (1521-1589), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, and William Fishman (1654-1718), a renowned clockmaker whose works are preserved in the British Museum.
Another figure of historical significance was Sarah Fishman (1792-1867), a pioneer in the field of women's education. She founded one of the first schools for girls in London, paving the way for greater educational opportunities for women.
In the realm of literature, the Fishman name is represented by the acclaimed novelist and essayist, Henry Fishman (1871-1947), whose works explored themes of identity, immigration, and the human condition.
More recently, the name gained prominence through the achievements of Samuel Fishman (1921-2003), a renowned physicist who made significant contributions to the understanding of quantum mechanics and solid-state physics.
Throughout its history, the Fishman surname has been borne by individuals from diverse walks of life, reflecting the rich tapestry of human experience and the enduring legacy of occupational surnames in English nomenclature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fishman
Among Census respondents with the surname Fishman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Fishman bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Fishman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 6,187
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 165
- Two or more races1.8% · 121
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 62
- Black or African American0.5% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fishman
Fishman appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,040
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,962
+185 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 2.36
Rank movement Down 266 places
2020
#5,146
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,569
-393 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 2.20
Rank movement Down 106 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,774 | 6,777 | 2.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,040 | 6,962 | 2.36 | +185 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 266 places |
| 2020 | #5,146 | 6,569 | 2.20 | -393 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 106 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Fishman surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,040 | #5,146 | -2.1% |
| Count | 6,962 | 6,569 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.36 | 2.20 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fishman bearers went from 6,962 to 6,569 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 106 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,040 to #5,146.
FAQ
Fishman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fishman?
Name Census estimates that about 7,533 living Americans carry the surname Fishman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 45,500 residents.
How common is Fishman?
Fishman ranks #5,146 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,569 people with the surname Fishman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,533), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Fishman.
Has Fishman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fishman went from 6,962 recorded bearers to 6,569. That is a decrease of 393 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,040 to #5,146.
What does the Census say about the background of Fishman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fishman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Fishman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (6,187 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fishman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Hispanic (2.5%), Two or More Races (1.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Fishman (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Fishman mean?
An occupational surname referring to a fisherman or seller of fish. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Fishman (2.20 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Fishman?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.