2000
#5,414
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,921
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.19
Rare Last name
Flemming
A Scottish and English locational surname referring to someone from Flanders, Belgium, or a place with a similar name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,988 Americans carry the last name Flemming. That puts it at #5,508 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 49,049 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Flemming 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 Flemming with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.0K
1 in 49,049
Census rank
#5,508
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,094 bearers of the surname Flemming in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5508th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Flemming, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.4%. The next largest groups are Black (35.6%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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During the 14th century, the surname "Flemming" appears in various historical documents, such as the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, which mentions a "Johannes Flemyng."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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Flemming
Among Census respondents with the surname Flemming, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.4%. The next largest groups are Black (35.6%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Flemming 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 Flemming surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White54.4% · 3,318
- Black or African American35.6% · 2,172
- Two or more races5.2% · 316
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 192
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 62
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 34
Timeline
Historical Census data for Flemming
Flemming 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
#5,575
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,234
+313 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 2.11
Rank movement Down 161 places
2020
#5,508
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,094
-140 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 2.04
Rank movement Up 67 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,414 | 5,921 | 2.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,575 | 6,234 | 2.11 | +313 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 161 places |
| 2020 | #5,508 | 6,094 | 2.04 | -140 bearers (-2.2%) | Up 67 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 Flemming 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 | #5,575 | #5,508 | 1.2% |
| Count | 6,234 | 6,094 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.11 | 2.04 | -3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Flemming bearers went from 6,234 to 6,094 (-2.2% change). The surname moved up 67 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,575 to #5,508.
FAQ
Flemming surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Flemming?
Name Census estimates that about 6,988 living Americans carry the surname Flemming. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 49,049 residents.
How common is Flemming?
Flemming ranks #5,508 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,094 people with the surname Flemming. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,988), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Flemming.
Has Flemming become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Flemming went from 6,234 recorded bearers to 6,094. That is a decrease of 140 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,575 to #5,508.
What does the Census say about the background of Flemming?
Among Census respondents with the surname Flemming, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.4%. The next largest groups are Black (35.6%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Flemming in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.4% (3,318 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Flemming appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (54.4%), Black (35.6%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Flemming (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 Flemming mean?
A Scottish and English locational surname referring to someone from Flanders, Belgium, or a place with a similar name. 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 Flemming (2.04 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 common is the surname Flemming?
Find out how many people have the last name Flemming on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.