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

Fleet, 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 Fleet surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fleet in America

Fleet is the 11322nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fleet surname appeared 2,787 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 Fleet.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fleet 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 Fleet

The surname Fleet has its origins in England, with records tracing it back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "fleot," which means "creek" or "inlet." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a creek or inlet.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Fleet can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1176, where a person named William de Flet is mentioned. The "de" prefix in this spelling indicates that the name was likely locational, referring to someone from a place called Flet.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Flete, Flet, and Fleete, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation at the time. One notable bearer of the name was Sir Walter de Flete, who served as a judge and was appointed Lord Treasurer of England in 1272 during the reign of Edward I.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not appear to contain any direct references to the surname Fleet. However, it does mention several place names that may have contributed to the formation of the surname, such as Fleet in Lincolnshire and Fleet Marston in Buckinghamshire.

Over the centuries, the surname Fleet has been associated with various notable individuals. John Fleet (1579-1615) was an English playwright and satirist known for his works criticizing the corruption of the Church and society. Sir John Fleet (1610-1688) was a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as a Baron of the Exchequer during the reign of Charles II.

In the 18th century, Thomas Fleet (1685-1758) was a notable American printer and publisher who established the first printing press in Boston. His son, Thomas Fleet Jr. (1732-1808), continued the family business and became a prominent bookseller and publisher in his own right.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Sir Frederick Fleet (1841-1900), a British orientalist and epigraphist who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Indian inscriptions and languages. He served as the Principal of Deccan College in Pune, India, and was instrumental in establishing the field of Indology.

Throughout its history, the surname Fleet has been prevalent in various parts of England, particularly in counties such as Lincolnshire, Buckinghamshire, and Dorset, where many of the early records and place names associated with the surname can be found. Despite its English origins, the name has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fleet

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

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

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

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