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

Fleming, 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 Fleming surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fleming in America

Fleming is the 342nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fleming surname appeared 90,677 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 31 people would have the surname Fleming.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fleming 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 Fleming

The surname Fleming originates from the medieval Flemish people, who inhabited parts of present-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. The name is derived from the Old French word "Flamenc," meaning "Fleming" or "Flemish person." Flemings were known for their skills in agriculture, trade, and textile production.

The earliest recorded instances of the Fleming surname can be traced back to the 12th century. In the Domesday Book, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are several mentions of individuals with the name Fleming, indicating their presence in the country at that time.

During the Middle Ages, many Flemings migrated to other parts of Europe, including England, Scotland, and Ireland, where they established settlements and contributed to the local economies. One notable example is Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders, who became King of Jerusalem in 1174 during the Crusades.

In England, the Fleming surname has a long history, with records showing individuals bearing the name as early as the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded examples is Robert Fleming, who was a prominent merchant and alderman in London in the late 13th century.

Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Fleming, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. He was granted lands in Renfrewshire, and his descendants became influential landowners and politicians in Scotland.

In the 16th century, Abraham Fleming (1552-1607) was a notable English writer, translator, and editor who published works on history, geography, and literature. His contemporary, Paul Fleming (1609-1640), was a German poet and physician who achieved fame for his baroque poetry.

The Fleming surname has also been associated with place names, such as Flemington in New Jersey, which was named after a Flemish settler named Walter Remine (or Reman), and Fleming County in Kentucky, which was named after Colonel John Fleming, a Revolutionary War veteran.

Overall, the surname Fleming has a rich history spanning several centuries and countries, reflecting the influence and contributions of the Flemish people in various aspects of European society, from agriculture and trade to warfare and literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fleming

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

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

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

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