2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Fit
A descriptive surname denoting someone who was physically fit or well-formed.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Fit. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fit 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.
Bearers in the US
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Fit in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fit, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.1%) and Black (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fit
The surname FIT has its origins in medieval England, with the earliest known instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "fitt," which referred to a conflict, struggle, or battle. This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who was known for their combative or aggressive nature.
One of the earliest recorded references to the surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a William Fyt is mentioned as a resident of Suffolk. This provides evidence that the name was already in use by the late 13th century and had likely been established for some time prior.
During the medieval period, the FIT surname was particularly concentrated in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex in East Anglia. This region was known for its turbulent history, with frequent conflicts between rival noble families and uprisings against central authority, which may have contributed to the significance of the name's meaning.
In the 14th century, the FIT surname made an appearance in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, where a John Fyt was recorded as a taxpayer in 1327. This demonstrates the spread of the name beyond its initial East Anglian heartland.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the FIT surname was Sir Thomas Fyt, a knight who fought alongside Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the mid-14th century. His participation in the famous Battle of Crécy in 1346 was documented in contemporary chronicles.
Another notable bearer of the FIT name was John Fyt, a merchant and alderman who lived in London during the 15th century. He is mentioned in various records, including the city's Letter Books, which documented his involvement in civic affairs and trade dealings.
In the 16th century, the FIT surname gained prominence in the county of Essex, where a family of that name held lands and estates in the village of Great Baddow. One member, William Fyt, served as a Member of Parliament for Maldon in 1547 during the reign of Edward VI.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a Captain Robert Fitt fought for the Parliamentarian forces, and his actions were recorded in contemporary accounts of the conflict. He was later granted lands in Hertfordshire as a reward for his service.
As the surname spread across England, variations in spelling emerged, including Fitt, Fytt, and Fyttee. These were largely due to regional dialects and inconsistencies in record-keeping at the time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fit
Among Census respondents with the surname Fit, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.1%) and Black (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Fit 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 Fit surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.1% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino10.1% · 11
- Black or African American5.5% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.7% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fit
Fit appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+9 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,770 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 10,770 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 Fit 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 | #160,975 | #150,205 | 6.7% |
| Count | 100 | 109 | 9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 21.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fit bearers went from 100 to 109 (+9.0% change). The surname moved up 10,770 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #150,205.
FAQ
Fit surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fit?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Fit. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Fit?
Fit ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 109 people with the surname Fit. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Fit.
Has Fit become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fit went from 100 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 9 (+9.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Fit?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fit, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.1%) and Black (5.5%). 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 Fit in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.1% (84 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fit appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.1%), Hispanic (10.1%), Black (5.5%). 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 Fit (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 Fit mean?
A descriptive surname denoting someone who was physically fit or well-formed. 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 Fit (0.04 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 common is the surname Fit?
Find out how many people have the last name Fit on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.