2000
#8,207
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,720
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.38
Rare Last name
Fleenor
Derived from Irish Gaelic "flannabhra," meaning a red eyebrow, likely referring to someone with reddish hair or eyebrows.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,000 Americans carry the last name Fleenor. That puts it at #8,999 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 85,689 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fleenor 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
4.0K
1 in 85,689
Census rank
#8,999
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,488 bearers of the surname Fleenor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8999th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fleenor, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fleenor
The surname Fleenor is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "fléon," meaning "to flee," and "ofer," meaning "over." The combination of these words suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who had fled or emigrated from one place to another.
One of the earliest known recorded instances of the name Fleenor can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire, England, from the year 1327. Here, the name appeared as "Flevenour." This variation in spelling was common during the Middle Ages, as surnames were often recorded phonetically by scribes.
In the 16th century, the Fleenor name surfaced in various parish records and tax rolls across England. One notable individual from this era was John Fleenor, born in 1542 in Berkshire. He is mentioned in local records as a prosperous landowner and member of the gentry.
During the 17th century, as the British Empire expanded, some Fleenors ventured across the Atlantic to the American colonies. One such individual was William Fleenor, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. He is believed to have been among the earliest settlers in the colony and is recorded as receiving a land grant in Henrico County.
The 18th century saw the Fleenor name spread further throughout the American colonies and the newly formed United States. In 1776, a Joseph Fleenor served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. His service records provide a glimpse into the lives of those bearing the Fleenor surname during this pivotal period in American history.
As the 19th century dawned, the Fleenor name continued to leave its mark on various regions of the United States. One notable figure was Samuel Fleenor, born in 1812 in Tennessee. He became a prominent businessman and landowner, playing a significant role in the development of his local community.
Throughout its history, the Fleenor surname has been associated with individuals from diverse walks of life, including farmers, merchants, soldiers, and public servants. While the name may have originated in England centuries ago, its legacy has been woven into the tapestry of many nations and cultures over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fleenor
Among Census respondents with the surname Fleenor, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Fleenor 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 Fleenor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 3,244
- Two or more races3.8% · 131
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 86
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 15
- Black or African American0.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fleenor
Fleenor 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
#8,965
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,651
-69 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Down 758 places
2020
#8,999
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,488
-163 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 34 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,207 | 3,720 | 1.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,965 | 3,651 | 1.24 | -69 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 758 places |
| 2020 | #8,999 | 3,488 | 1.17 | -163 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 34 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 Fleenor 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 | #8,965 | #8,999 | -0.4% |
| Count | 3,651 | 3,488 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.24 | 1.17 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fleenor bearers went from 3,651 to 3,488 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 34 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,965 to #8,999.
FAQ
Fleenor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fleenor?
Name Census estimates that about 4,000 living Americans carry the surname Fleenor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 85,689 residents.
How common is Fleenor?
Fleenor ranks #8,999 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.17 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,488 people with the surname Fleenor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,000), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.17 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Fleenor.
Has Fleenor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fleenor went from 3,651 recorded bearers to 3,488. That is a decrease of 163 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,965 to #8,999.
What does the Census say about the background of Fleenor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fleenor, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Fleenor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (3,244 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fleenor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Fleenor (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 Fleenor mean?
Derived from Irish Gaelic "flannabhra," meaning a red eyebrow, likely referring to someone with reddish hair or eyebrows. 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 Fleenor (1.17 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 last name Fleenor?
Find out how many people are called Fleenor on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.