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

Fobes, 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 Fobes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fobes in America

Fobes is the 32676th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fobes surname appeared 703 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Fobes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fobes 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 Fobes

The surname Fobes originated in England during the late medieval period, likely derived from the Old English word 'fob' meaning a small bag or pouch. It is believed to have been an occupational surname initially given to someone who made or sold pouches or bags.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Fobes appears in the Pipe Rolls of Essex in 1199, where it is spelled 'Fobbes'. This suggests that the name was already established in Essex by the late 12th century.

In the early 13th century, the name Fobes is found in the Curia Regis Rolls of Hertfordshire, indicating its presence in that area as well. The variant spelling 'Fobbys' is recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273.

The Fobes surname seems to have been particularly prevalent in the counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, and Oxfordshire during the medieval period, but examples can also be found in other parts of England.

One notable early bearer of the name was John Fobes, a landowner in the village of Little Burstead, Essex, who is mentioned in the Feet of Fines records for that county in 1325.

Another early Fobes was William Fobes, a merchant from London, who is recorded in the City of London's Letter Books in 1391.

In the 16th century, the Fobes surname is found in the Parish Registers of Harlow, Essex, with the birth of Thomas Fobes recorded in 1589.

A notable later bearer of the Fobes name was John Fobes (1663-1743), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Hertfordshire, who served as High Sheriff of the county in 1724.

Another prominent individual was Captain William Fobes (1692-1768), a naval officer from Oxfordshire who served in the Royal Navy during the early 18th century.

The surname Fobes continued to be found in various parts of England throughout the centuries, and bearers of the name can be traced through parish records, wills, and other historical documents.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fobes

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

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

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

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