2000
#12,845
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,196
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Folger
An occupational surname for a person who worked as a folder or sheepherder.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,445 Americans carry the last name Folger. That puts it at #13,606 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 140,186 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Folger 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
2.4K
1 in 140,186
Census rank
#13,606
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,132 bearers of the surname Folger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13606th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Folger, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Folger
The surname Folger is believed to have originated in Germany, derived from the Old German word "folgen," which means "to follow." It's thought to have initially been an occupational name for a servant or attendant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Folger can be found in the town records of Naumburg, Germany, dating back to the 14th century. These records mention a family by the name of Folger residing in the area.
In the 15th century, the surname Folger began appearing in various parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and England. It's believed that some Folgers immigrated to these regions during this time, possibly as merchants or tradesmen.
One notable figure bearing the Folger surname was Peter Folger, born in 1617 in Norwich, England. He was a Puritan surveyor and one of the early settlers of Nantucket, Massachusetts. His daughter, Abiah Folger, married into the famous Franklin family and became the mother of Benjamin Franklin.
Another prominent Folger was Henry Wicker Folger, born in 1857 in New York. He was an industrialist and founder of the Folger Coffee Company, which became one of the largest coffee roasters in the United States.
In the world of literature, we find Amory Folger, born in 1923 in Texas. He was a respected poet and author, known for his works such as "Newly Fallen" and "The Song of Amergin."
The Folger name is also associated with the renowned Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. Established in the early 20th century, it was founded by Henry Clay Folger and his wife, Emily Jordan Folger, who were avid collectors of Shakespeare's works and other literary treasures.
Another notable figure with the Folger surname was Mary Parker Folger, born in 1868 in Massachusetts. She was an influential educator and a pioneer in the field of adult education, helping to establish evening classes and continuing education programs.
While the Folger name has its origins in Germany, it has since spread across various parts of the world, with notable individuals bearing this surname making their mark in various fields, from literature and education to business and exploration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Folger
Among Census respondents with the surname Folger, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Folger 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 Folger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.4% · 1,907
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 79
- Two or more races3.7% · 78
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 35
- Black or African American0.8% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Folger
Folger 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
#13,148
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,328
+132 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 303 places
2020
#13,606
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,132
-196 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 458 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,845 | 2,196 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,148 | 2,328 | 0.79 | +132 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 303 places |
| 2020 | #13,606 | 2,132 | 0.71 | -196 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 458 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 Folger 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 | #13,148 | #13,606 | -3.5% |
| Count | 2,328 | 2,132 | -8.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.79 | 0.71 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Folger bearers went from 2,328 to 2,132 (-8.4% change). The surname moved down 458 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,148 to #13,606.
FAQ
Folger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Folger?
Name Census estimates that about 2,445 living Americans carry the surname Folger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 140,186 residents.
How common is Folger?
Folger ranks #13,606 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 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 2,132 people with the surname Folger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,445), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 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 Folger.
Has Folger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Folger went from 2,328 recorded bearers to 2,132. That is a decrease of 196 (-8.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,148 to #13,606.
What does the Census say about the background of Folger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Folger, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Folger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (1,907 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Folger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.4%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Folger (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 Folger mean?
An occupational surname for a person who worked as a folder or sheepherder. 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 Folger (0.71 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 Folger?
You can see how many people have the last name Folger on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.