2000
#14,671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,858
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Follis
A surname deriving from the Middle English word "folie" meaning foolish or insane person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,027 Americans carry the last name Follis. That puts it at #15,866 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 169,094 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Follis 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 Follis with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.0K
1 in 169,094
Census rank
#15,866
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,768 bearers of the surname Follis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15866th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Follis, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Follis
The surname Follis has its origins in England and dates back to the late medieval period. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English word "folgere," which means "follower" or "servant." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who was a follower or servant of a prominent person or household.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Follis can be found in various historical records, such as the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and resources commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, including Follius, Folliis, and Follys, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that time.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Follis was Sir William Follis, a knight who lived in the late 13th century. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Edward I and served as a diplomat and military commander during the Scottish Wars of Independence.
Another notable figure was John Follis, a merchant and landowner who lived in the 15th century. He was a prominent member of the Guild of Mercers in London and owned several properties in the city. Records indicate that he was involved in the wool trade and played a significant role in the economic life of London during that period.
In the 16th century, the Follis family had established themselves in various parts of England, with branches in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. One notable member was Thomas Follis (1545-1612), a clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Chester and was known for his scholarly works on theology and church history.
During the 17th century, the name Follis was also found in parts of Scotland, where it was sometimes spelled as Fullys or Foulles. One notable Scottish bearer of the name was Robert Follis (1670-1743), a merchant and politician who served as a member of the Scottish Parliament and was involved in the Union of Scotland and England in 1707.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Follis family continued to be present in various regions of England and Scotland, with some members achieving prominence in various fields, including law, politics, and the military.
It is worth noting that the surname Follis has also been associated with certain place names, such as Follis Hill in Herefordshire, England, and Follis Farm in Gloucestershire, suggesting that the name may have originated from specific locations or landholdings.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Follis
Among Census respondents with the surname Follis, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Follis 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 Follis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 1,584
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 91
- Two or more races3.2% · 56
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 13
- Black or African American0.7% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Follis
Follis 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
#15,651
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,866
+8 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 980 places
2020
#15,866
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,768
-98 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Down 215 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,671 | 1,858 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,651 | 1,866 | 0.63 | +8 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 980 places |
| 2020 | #15,866 | 1,768 | 0.59 | -98 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 215 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 Follis 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 | #15,651 | #15,866 | -1.4% |
| Count | 1,866 | 1,768 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 0.59 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Follis bearers went from 1,866 to 1,768 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 215 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,651 to #15,866.
FAQ
Follis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Follis?
Name Census estimates that about 2,027 living Americans carry the surname Follis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 169,094 residents.
How common is Follis?
Follis ranks #15,866 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.59 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 1,768 people with the surname Follis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,027), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.59 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 Follis.
Has Follis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Follis went from 1,866 recorded bearers to 1,768. That is a decrease of 98 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,651 to #15,866.
What does the Census say about the background of Follis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Follis, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Follis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (1,584 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Follis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Follis (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 Follis mean?
A surname deriving from the Middle English word "folie" meaning foolish or insane person. 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 Follis (0.59 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 Follis?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Follis, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.