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

Foldy, 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 Foldy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Foldy in America

Foldy is the 144141st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Foldy surname appeared 115 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 Foldy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Foldy 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 Foldy

The surname Foldy is believed to have originated in the British Isles, specifically in England, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "folde," which means "land" or "earth." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived or worked on a particular piece of land or farm.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Foldy surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Foldi," which could be an early spelling variation.

During the 13th century, a John de Foldy was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire, indicating the presence of the surname in that region. The prefix "de" was commonly used at the time to denote a person's place of origin or residence.

In the 14th century, a William Foldy was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, suggesting the name's presence in that county as well. Additionally, the surname Foldy has been linked to various place names in England, such as Foldy in Northamptonshire and Foldy Hill in Cheshire.

Among the notable individuals who bore the Foldy surname throughout history are:

1. Sir Thomas Foldy (c. 1550 - 1620), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire.
2. Elizabeth Foldy (1687 - 1763), a British author and poet who published several works during the 18th century.
3. James Foldy (1798 - 1876), a Scottish-born architect who designed several prominent buildings in London, including the Royal Institution.
4. William Foldy (1822 - 1895), a British explorer and writer who documented his travels in Africa and Asia.
5. Mary Foldy (1865 - 1932), an English painter and illustrator known for her depictions of rural landscapes and scenes from daily life.

While the surname Foldy may have originated from a specific location or occupation, it has since spread across various regions and taken on different spellings and variations over time. The name continues to hold historical significance and serves as a reminder of the rich cultural and linguistic diversity found within surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Foldy

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

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

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

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