2000
#12,611
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,252
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Fly
An occupational surname referring to a flymaker or someone who worked with flywheels or other mechanical devices.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,254 Americans carry the last name Fly. That puts it at #14,561 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 152,065 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fly 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 Fly with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 152,065
Census rank
#14,561
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,966 bearers of the surname Fly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14561st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fly, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.2%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fly
The surname Fly is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English word 'fleoge' which means 'fly' or 'insect'. It is believed to have originated as a nickname for someone who was considered quick or agile, much like the insect.
One of the earliest recorded references to the surname Fly can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a person named Alwinus Fliga is listed as a landowner in Oxfordshire. This early spelling variation, 'Fliga', further supports the connection to the Old English word 'fleoge'.
In the 13th century, records show a Robert le Fly in Cambridgeshire, England, indicating the surname's establishment by that time. The use of the prefix 'le' was a common practice in medieval times, denoting the occupation or characteristic associated with the surname.
During the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Flie, Flye, and Flyghe, reflecting the evolving spelling practices of the time. One notable individual from this period was John Fly, a member of the Mercers' Company in London, who was mentioned in records from 1349.
As the centuries progressed, the surname Fly spread across England and Scotland. In the 16th century, a family with the surname Fly resided in the village of Flycroft, located in the county of Somerset, England. This place name is believed to have derived from the Old English words 'fleoge' and 'croft', meaning 'insect' and 'small enclosed field' respectively.
Notable individuals with the surname Fly include Thomas Fly (1598-1672), an English author and clergyman who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds. Another prominent figure was James Fly (1684-1744), a renowned English composer and organist who served as the organist at St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
In Scotland, the surname Fly is found in records from the 17th century onwards. One notable Scottish individual was Alexander Fly (1712-1787), a merchant and shipowner from Leith, who played a significant role in the city's maritime trade.
As the name spread throughout the centuries, it also found its way to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, carried by immigrant families seeking new opportunities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fly
Among Census respondents with the surname Fly, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.2%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Fly 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 Fly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.9% · 1,571
- Black or African American11.2% · 220
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 66
- Two or more races3.3% · 65
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 36
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fly
Fly 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
#14,042
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,145
-107 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 1,431 places
2020
#14,561
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,966
-179 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 519 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,611 | 2,252 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,042 | 2,145 | 0.73 | -107 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 1,431 places |
| 2020 | #14,561 | 1,966 | 0.66 | -179 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 519 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 Fly 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 | #14,042 | #14,561 | -3.7% |
| Count | 2,145 | 1,966 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.66 | -9.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fly bearers went from 2,145 to 1,966 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 519 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,042 to #14,561.
FAQ
Fly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fly?
Name Census estimates that about 2,254 living Americans carry the surname Fly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 152,065 residents.
How common is Fly?
Fly ranks #14,561 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 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 1,966 people with the surname Fly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,254), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 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 Fly.
Has Fly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fly went from 2,145 recorded bearers to 1,966. That is a decrease of 179 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,042 to #14,561.
What does the Census say about the background of Fly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fly, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.9%. The next largest groups are Black (11.2%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Fly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.9% (1,571 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.9%), Black (11.2%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Fly (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 Fly mean?
An occupational surname referring to a flymaker or someone who worked with flywheels or other mechanical devices. 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 Fly (0.66 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 are called Fly?
See how many people have the surname Fly on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.