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

Flemming, 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 Flemming surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Flemming in America

Flemming is the 5575th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Flemming surname appeared 6,234 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Flemming.

We can also compare 2010 data for Flemming 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 Flemming

The surname "FLEMMING" is of English origin, deriving from an old English word "Flēming" meaning "a Fleming," referring to people from the medieval County of Flanders, which encompassed parts of present-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. This name was likely given to individuals who migrated from Flanders to England in the Middle Ages.

The earliest recorded appearance of the name "Flemming" in England dates back to the 13th century, found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273. This record lists a person named "Walter le Flemming," indicating the name's association with individuals of Flemish descent.

During the 14th century, the surname "Flemming" appears in various historical documents, such as the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, which mentions a "Johannes Flemyng." The name's spelling variations during this period included "Flemyng," "Flemmyng," and "Flemmynge."

In the 15th century, the surname is found in the Register of the Freemen of the City of York, with entries for "Richard Flemyng" in 1453 and "John Flemyng" in 1484. These records suggest that individuals bearing the name had established themselves in various parts of England by that time.

One notable individual with the surname "Flemming" was Sir Thomas Flemming (c. 1544-1613), an English soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Wigan in 1586 and 1597. He also held the position of Governor of the Isle of Wight from 1608 until his death.

Another prominent figure was Paul Flemming (1609-1640), a German Baroque poet and physician who studied and worked in various European cities, including Leiden, Leiden, and Riga. His poetic works, such as "Geistliche und Weltliche Poemata" (Spiritual and Secular Poems), were widely acclaimed during his lifetime.

In the 18th century, John Flemming (1785-1857) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. He was present at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 and later achieved the rank of Admiral.

Sir Sandford Flemming (1827-1915), a Canadian engineer and inventor, is also a notable figure associated with the surname. He is best known for his role in the design and construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway and for his promotion of the concept of universal standard time zones.

Another individual of note is Victor Flemming (1889-1949), an American film director and cinematographer who directed the classic film "The Wizard of Oz" in 1939. He is renowned for his contributions to the development of the Hollywood studio system and his innovative visual techniques.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Flemming

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

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

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

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