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

Fiske, 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 Fiske surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fiske in America

Fiske is the 8060th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fiske surname appeared 4,110 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Fiske.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fiske 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 Fiske

The surname Fiske has its origins in England, derived from the Old English word "fisc," meaning "fish." It was likely an occupational surname given to someone who worked as a fisherman or fish monger.

The name can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Fische" in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. This early record indicates that the name was present in East Anglia, an area known for its fishing industry.

In the 13th century, the name was found in various spellings, such as "Fisk," "Fisk," and "Fisshe," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling during that period.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Robert Fiske, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.

The name Fiske was also associated with several prominent individuals throughout history. One notable figure was William Fiske (1612-1676), who was one of the founders of the town of Wenham, Massachusetts, in the early days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Another prominent bearer of the name was John Fiske (1842-1901), an American philosopher, historian, and writer, best known for his works on American history and philosophy.

In the 19th century, the Fiske family gained prominence in the United States, with members such as Willard Fiske (1831-1904), a renowned scholar and book collector, whose collection formed the basis of the Fiske Icelandic Collection at Cornell University.

The name Fiske was also associated with a place name, Fiskedale, found in the Domesday Book as "Fiskedale" in Yorkshire, which likely contributed to the development of the surname in that region.

Other notable individuals with the surname Fiske include Thomas Fiske (1792-1846), an English playwright and novelist, and John Fiske (1776-1865), an American educator and founder of the Fiske Free Library in Wrentham, Massachusetts.

Throughout its history, the surname Fiske has maintained its connection to the occupation of fishing and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, leaving a lasting impact in their respective fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fiske

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

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

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

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