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

Fok, 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 Fok surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fok in America

Fok is the 31790th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fok surname appeared 726 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 Fok.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fok 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 Fok

The surname Fok has its origins in the Netherlands, where it first appeared in the late 15th century. It is derived from the Dutch word "vok," which means "fox." The name likely originated as a nickname for someone with reddish hair or a cunning personality, reminiscent of the sly fox.

In the early days, the name was often spelled as "Vock" or "Vok" before evolving to its current form. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Dutch city of Leiden, where a man named Pieter Vok was mentioned in a municipal record from 1487.

The name Fok gained prominence in the 17th century, during the Dutch Golden Age. One notable figure from this era was the painter Jan Fok (1610-1661), who specialized in portraiture and was a member of the Leiden Guild of St. Luke.

As the Dutch Empire expanded, the name spread to other parts of the world. In the 18th century, a merchant named Pieter Fok (1722-1789) established trade routes between the Netherlands and the Cape Colony in South Africa, where some of his descendants settled and carried on the family name.

Another historically significant individual with the surname Fok was the Dutch naval officer and explorer Willem Fok (1787-1848). He participated in several expeditions to the East Indies and is credited with mapping various islands in the Indonesian archipelago.

In the 19th century, the Fok surname also found its way to the United States. One prominent American bearing the name was the politician and lawyer Henry Fok (1843-1912), who served as a judge in the state of New York and played a role in the development of the city's public transportation system.

Throughout its history, the surname Fok has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, merchants, explorers, and public servants. While its origins can be traced back to the Netherlands, the name has since spread across the globe, a testament to the far-reaching influence of Dutch culture and exploration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fok

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

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

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

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