2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fojt
A surname of German origin, from the word "Vogt" meaning an advocate or bailiff.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Fojt. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fojt 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.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Fojt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fojt, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fojt
The surname Fojt is believed to have originated in Poland, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Polish word "fojt," which means "village leader" or "magistrate." The name was likely given to individuals who held positions of authority and leadership within their respective communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Fojt surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Poloniae, a collection of historical documents dating back to the 11th century. The name appears in various forms, such as "Foit" and "Voyt," reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that era.
In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Jan Fojt was documented as a respected landowner and local administrator in the region of Wielkopolska. His descendants continued to carry the Fojt name, contributing to its widespread recognition throughout the region.
During the 16th century, a notable individual named Mikołaj Fojt (1520-1588) gained recognition as a skilled painter and architect. His works can be found adorning churches and public buildings across several Polish cities, showcasing the artistic talent associated with this surname.
Another notable figure was Wojciech Fojt (1675-1742), a renowned scholar and theologian who served as a professor at the prestigious Jagiellonian University in Kraków. His writings and teachings on theology and philosophy had a significant impact on academic circles of his time.
In the 19th century, the Fojt surname gained further prominence with the birth of Józef Fojt (1814-1888), a prominent Polish politician and activist who played a pivotal role in advocating for Polish independence during the turbulent period of partitions.
The surname Fojt has also been associated with various place names throughout Poland, such as the village of Fojtówka in the Lublin region, which likely derived its name from the presence of a local administrator bearing the Fojt surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fojt
Among Census respondents with the surname Fojt, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Fojt 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 Fojt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.3% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fojt
Fojt appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,887 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 1,887 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 Fojt 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 | #150,452 | #152,339 | -1.3% |
| Count | 109 | 106 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fojt bearers went from 109 to 106 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 1,887 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #152,339.
FAQ
Fojt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fojt?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Fojt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Fojt?
Fojt ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Fojt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Fojt.
Has Fojt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fojt went from 109 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Fojt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fojt, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Fojt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fojt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.3%), Hispanic (1.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Fojt (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 Fojt mean?
A surname of German origin, from the word "Vogt" meaning an advocate or bailiff. 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 Fojt (0.04 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 many people have the last name Fojt?
Find out how common the surname Fojt is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.