2000
#32,026
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 680
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.25
Rare Last name
Fofana
A surname of Malian origin meaning "warrior" or "soldier."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,042 Americans carry the last name Fofana. That puts it at #11,363 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,674 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fofana 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 Fofana with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 112,674
Census rank
#11,363
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,653 bearers of the surname Fofana in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11363rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fofana, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.6%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fofana
The surname FOFANA is believed to have originated in West Africa, specifically in the region now known as Guinea. It is thought to have derived from the Malinke language, spoken by the Malinke ethnic group, which is one of the largest ethnic groups in Guinea.
The name FOFANA is likely to have roots in the Malinke word "fofana," which means "to be proud" or "to be arrogant." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who displayed these traits or had a reputation for being proud or arrogant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name FOFANA can be found in the written records of the Mali Empire, a powerful West African empire that existed from the 13th to the 17th century. The Mali Empire was renowned for its wealth, trade routes, and cultural achievements, and it is likely that the name FOFANA was present among the noble families or traders associated with the empire.
In the 18th century, during the height of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, many Africans were forcibly taken from their homelands and transported to the Americas. It is possible that some individuals bearing the surname FOFANA were among those who were enslaved and brought to the Caribbean islands or the Americas, where their descendants may have carried on the name.
One notable historical figure with the surname FOFANA was Samba Fofana, a renowned Malinke warrior and military leader who lived in the 16th century. He is known for his exploits in defending the Mali Empire against invading forces and for his role in preserving the empire's cultural heritage.
Another significant figure was Fanta Fofana, a Guinean author and playwright who lived in the 20th century (1922-2008). She was a prominent figure in the Guinean literary scene and made significant contributions to the promotion of Guinean culture and literature.
Mamadou Fofana (1937-2020) was a Guinean politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guinea from 1972 to 1984. He played a crucial role in shaping Guinea's foreign policy during a tumultuous period in the country's history.
In the realm of sports, Ibrahima Fofana (born 1985) is a Guinean professional footballer who has played for several clubs in Europe, including Udinese and Bastia. He has also represented the Guinean national team.
Lastly, Ousmane Fofana (born 1993) is a French professional footballer of Malian descent who currently plays as a midfielder for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the English Premier League. He has also represented the French national team at various youth levels.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fofana
Among Census respondents with the surname Fofana, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.6%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Fofana 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 Fofana surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American92.6% · 2,456
- White2.9% · 76
- Two or more races2.9% · 76
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fofana
Fofana 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
#16,051
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,806
+1,126 bearers (+165.6%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 15,975 places
2020
#11,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,653
+847 bearers (+46.9%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 4,688 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #32,026 | 680 | 0.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,051 | 1,806 | 0.61 | +1,126 bearers (+165.6%) | Up 15,975 places |
| 2020 | #11,363 | 2,653 | 0.89 | +847 bearers (+46.9%) | Up 4,688 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 Fofana 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 | #16,051 | #11,363 | 29.2% |
| Count | 1,806 | 2,653 | 46.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.61 | 0.89 | 45.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fofana bearers went from 1,806 to 2,653 (+46.9% change). The surname moved up 4,688 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,051 to #11,363.
FAQ
Fofana surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fofana?
Name Census estimates that about 3,042 living Americans carry the surname Fofana. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,674 residents.
How common is Fofana?
Fofana ranks #11,363 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 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 2,653 people with the surname Fofana. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,042), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 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 Fofana.
Has Fofana become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fofana went from 1,806 recorded bearers to 2,653. That is an increase of 847 (+46.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,051 to #11,363.
What does the Census say about the background of Fofana?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fofana, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.6%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Fofana in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (2,456 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fofana appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (92.6%), White (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Fofana (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 Fofana mean?
A surname of Malian origin meaning "warrior" or "soldier." 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 Fofana (0.89 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 Fofana?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Fofana is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.