2000
#8,185
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,728
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.38
Rare Last name
Fleetwood
A locational surname derived from a place in Lancashire, England, meaning "creek or channel with a fleet of ships."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,142 Americans carry the last name Fleetwood. That puts it at #8,715 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 82,751 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fleetwood 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Fleetwood with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.1K
1 in 82,751
Census rank
#8,715
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,612 bearers of the surname Fleetwood in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8715th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fleetwood, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (14.9%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fleetwood
The surname Fleetwood originated in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is a locational surname derived from the place name Fleetwood, which is located in Lancashire, England. The name Fleetwood comes from the Old English words "fleot" meaning a creek or inlet, and "wudu" meaning a wood or forest, referring to a wooded area near a creek or inlet.
One of the earliest recorded references to the surname Fleetwood can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire from 1176, which mentions a person named Adam de Fletwude. The Domesday Book, a great survey of England commissioned by William the Conquer in 1086, also contains references to places with similar names such as Fleetwood and Flitewood.
The earliest known bearer of the surname Fleetwood was Sir Peter Fleetwood, who lived in the 14th century and was a prominent figure in Lancashire. He was the ancestor of many notable individuals who took the surname Fleetwood. Another early bearer of the name was Sir William Fleetwood, who lived in the late 15th century and served as a Member of Parliament for Lancashire.
In the 16th century, the Fleetwood family became well-established landowners in Lancashire, and several members of the family held influential positions. One notable figure was Sir George Fleetwood, born in 1605, who was a soldier and politician during the English Civil War. He fought for the Parliamentarian side and was a member of Oliver Cromwell's Council of State.
During the 17th century, another prominent member of the Fleetwood family was Charles Fleetwood, born in 1618. He was a military and political leader who served as Lord Deputy of Ireland and a member of Oliver Cromwell's Privy Council. Fleetwood also played a crucial role in the establishment of the Commonwealth of England after the execution of King Charles I.
In the 18th century, the Fleetwood surname continued to be associated with notable figures, such as Charles Fleetwood, born in 1721, who was a prominent lawyer and author. He published several legal works and served as a judge in the Court of King's Bench.
Additionally, in the 19th century, there was Sir Peter Hesketh Fleetwood, born in 1801, who was a British politician and served as a Member of Parliament for Preston. He was also a landowner and held the title of High Sheriff of Lancashire.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fleetwood
Among Census respondents with the surname Fleetwood, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (14.9%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Fleetwood 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 Fleetwood surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.2% · 2,643
- Black or African American14.9% · 539
- Two or more races5.7% · 207
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 124
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.4% · 86
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fleetwood
Fleetwood 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
#8,611
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,819
+91 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Down 426 places
2020
#8,715
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,612
-207 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 104 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,185 | 3,728 | 1.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,611 | 3,819 | 1.29 | +91 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 426 places |
| 2020 | #8,715 | 3,612 | 1.21 | -207 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 104 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 Fleetwood 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 | #8,611 | #8,715 | -1.2% |
| Count | 3,819 | 3,612 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.29 | 1.21 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fleetwood bearers went from 3,819 to 3,612 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 104 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,611 to #8,715.
FAQ
Fleetwood surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fleetwood?
Name Census estimates that about 4,142 living Americans carry the surname Fleetwood. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 82,751 residents.
How common is Fleetwood?
Fleetwood ranks #8,715 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.21 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 3,612 people with the surname Fleetwood. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,142), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.21 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 Fleetwood.
Has Fleetwood become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fleetwood went from 3,819 recorded bearers to 3,612. That is a decrease of 207 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,611 to #8,715.
What does the Census say about the background of Fleetwood?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fleetwood, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (14.9%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Fleetwood in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.2% (2,643 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fleetwood appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.2%), Black (14.9%), Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Fleetwood (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 Fleetwood mean?
A locational surname derived from a place in Lancashire, England, meaning "creek or channel with a fleet of ships." 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 Fleetwood (1.21 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 Fleetwood?
You can see how common the surname Fleetwood is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.