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

Fletcher, 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 Fletcher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fletcher in America

Fletcher is the 382nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fletcher surname appeared 83,063 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 28 people would have the surname Fletcher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fletcher 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 Fletcher

The surname Fletcher has its origins in England, deriving from the Old English word 'flechere', which means an arrowsmith or maker of arrows. This occupation-based surname first emerged in the 12th century and was widespread across medieval England.

The name appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, one of the earliest records of English surnames. This document lists individuals such as William le Flechere from Oxfordshire and John le Flecchere from Norfolk. The prefix 'le' was commonly used to denote the bearer's occupation or status.

In later centuries, variations of the spelling emerged, including Fletscher, Flecher, and Flitcher. Some of these regional spellings were based on local dialects and pronunciations. For instance, the Flitsher spelling was found in Yorkshire during the 15th century.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Fletcher surname. However, it does list individuals with similar occupational names, such as 'Arcarius' (arrowsmith) and 'Sagittarius' (archer).

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Fletcher surname was Sir Walter Fletcher, who lived in the 13th century and served as the Lord of Roche Abbey in Yorkshire. Another notable figure was Richard Fletcher, a 14th-century English archer who fought in the Battle of Crécy during the Hundred Years' War.

In the 16th century, Giles Fletcher (1549-1611) was a renowned English poet and diplomat who served as an ambassador to Russia. His brother, Phineas Fletcher (1582-1650), was also a celebrated poet and author of the allegorical work 'The Purple Island'.

During the English Civil War, Sir Robert Fletcher (1592-1677) was a prominent Parliamentarian and served as the Governor of Portsmouth. He played a crucial role in defending the city against Royalist forces.

In the 18th century, Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun (1653-1716) was a Scottish writer, politician, and patriot who advocated for the preservation of Scottish independence and constitutional liberties.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the Fletcher surname, which has been firmly rooted in English and British culture for centuries, reflecting the rich occupational heritage of arrowsmithing and archery.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fletcher

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

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

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

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