2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fleeson
From a locational name denoting someone from a place called Fleeson.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 150 Americans carry the last name Fleeson. That puts it at #133,930 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,285,029 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fleeson 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
150
1 in 2,285,029
Census rank
#133,930
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
131
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 131 bearers of the surname Fleeson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 133930th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fleeson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fleeson
The surname Fleeson has its origins in the British Isles, specifically in England and Scotland. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "fleosan," which means "to flow" or "to stream," possibly referring to someone who lived near a river or stream.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Fleeson can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Fleeson was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of England, such as Yorkshire and Northumberland, as well as in the Scottish Lowlands. This is evidenced by various historical records, including parish registers and tax rolls from the 13th to 16th centuries.
The spelling of the surname has evolved over time, with variations such as Flesone, Fleesone, and Fleson appearing in different regions. Some of these variations may have been influenced by local dialects or scribal errors in record-keeping.
One notable individual bearing the surname Fleeson was Sir Robert Fleeson (1550-1621), an English politician and landowner from Yorkshire. He served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Boroughbridge in the early 17th century.
Another prominent figure was William Fleeson (1685-1752), a Scottish scholar and clergyman who served as the principal of the University of Aberdeen in the mid-18th century. His contributions to the field of theology and education were highly regarded during his time.
In the 19th century, the Fleeson family had a presence in the industrial heartlands of northern England, with several members working in the coal mining and textile industries. One such individual was John Fleeson (1820-1892), a coal miner from County Durham who was instrumental in organizing early trade union efforts for better working conditions.
Across the Atlantic, the surname Fleeson can be traced back to the early colonial period in North America. One of the earliest recorded instances was that of Thomas Fleeson (1670-1745), an English immigrant who settled in Virginia in the late 17th century and became a successful tobacco planter.
Finally, in the realm of literature, the surname Fleeson is associated with the American writer and journalist, Marian Fleeson (1915-1998). She gained recognition for her insightful political commentary and was a respected figure in Washington, D.C., journalism circles during the mid-20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fleeson
Among Census respondents with the surname Fleeson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Fleeson 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 Fleeson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 118
- Two or more races6.1% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fleeson
Fleeson 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+15 bearers (+12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,067 places
2020
#133,930
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,883 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+12.8%) | Up 4,067 places |
| 2020 | #133,930 | 131 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 4,883 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 Fleeson 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 | #129,047 | #133,930 | -3.8% |
| Count | 132 | 131 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fleeson bearers went from 132 to 131 (-0.8% change). The surname moved down 4,883 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #133,930.
FAQ
Fleeson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fleeson?
Name Census estimates that about 150 living Americans carry the surname Fleeson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,285,029 residents.
How common is Fleeson?
Fleeson ranks #133,930 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 131 people with the surname Fleeson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (150), 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 Fleeson.
Has Fleeson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fleeson went from 132 recorded bearers to 131. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #133,930.
What does the Census say about the background of Fleeson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fleeson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Fleeson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (118 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fleeson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Two or More Races (6.1%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Fleeson (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 Fleeson mean?
From a locational name denoting someone from a place called Fleeson. 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 Fleeson (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 many people have the surname Fleeson?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.