2000
#4,374
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,505
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.78
Rare Last name
Folsom
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "the enclosure of the people of Folc."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,143 Americans carry the last name Folsom. That puts it at #4,825 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 42,092 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Folsom 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
8.1K
1 in 42,092
Census rank
#4,825
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,101 bearers of the surname Folsom in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4825th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Folsom, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Folsom
The surname Folsom originated in England and is believed to have derived from the Old English words "fol" meaning foolish or wicked, and "ham" meaning a homestead or village. It is thought to have initially referred to a homestead or settlement where fools or criminals lived.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Folsom can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership and taxation in England compiled in 1086 under the direction of William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Folsham" in reference to a village in Norfolk.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as "Folsham," "Folsam," and "Folsum." During this time, it was commonly associated with places in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex counties in eastern England.
One notable individual with the surname Folsom was John Folsom, a merchant and politician who lived from 1630 to 1690. He served as a member of the Massachusetts Bay Colony's Council of Assistants and was a prominent figure in the early colonial history of New England.
Another historical figure was Peter Folsom, born in 1617 in Norwich, England. He immigrated to America in the 1630s and became one of the first settlers of what is now Exeter, New Hampshire. His descendants went on to play significant roles in the development of various towns and communities throughout New England.
In the 18th century, Samuel Folsom (1717-1790) was a prominent merchant and landowner in Exeter, New Hampshire. He served as a colonel in the American Revolutionary War and was a close associate of George Washington.
During the same period, Nathaniel Folsom (1726-1790) was a brigadier general in the Continental Army and served under George Washington during the American Revolutionary War. He played a crucial role in several battles, including the Battle of Saratoga.
In the 19th century, Charles Folsom (1842-1907) was a prominent American businessman and inventor. He is credited with several innovations in the field of paper manufacturing and was involved in the establishment of several successful companies.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals with the surname Folsom throughout history. The name has been carried by many others who have contributed to various fields, including politics, business, and military service, across multiple countries and generations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Folsom
Among Census respondents with the surname Folsom, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Folsom 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 Folsom surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.8% · 6,021
- Two or more races5.5% · 389
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 249
- Black or African American3.4% · 240
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 140
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 62
Timeline
Historical Census data for Folsom
Folsom 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
#4,667
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,598
+93 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 2.58
Rank movement Down 293 places
2020
#4,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,101
-497 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 2.38
Rank movement Down 158 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,374 | 7,505 | 2.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,667 | 7,598 | 2.58 | +93 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 293 places |
| 2020 | #4,825 | 7,101 | 2.38 | -497 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 158 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 Folsom 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 | #4,667 | #4,825 | -3.4% |
| Count | 7,598 | 7,101 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.58 | 2.38 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Folsom bearers went from 7,598 to 7,101 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 158 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,667 to #4,825.
FAQ
Folsom surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Folsom?
Name Census estimates that about 8,143 living Americans carry the surname Folsom. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 42,092 residents.
How common is Folsom?
Folsom ranks #4,825 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.38 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,101 people with the surname Folsom. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,143), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.38 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Folsom.
Has Folsom become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Folsom went from 7,598 recorded bearers to 7,101. That is a decrease of 497 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,667 to #4,825.
What does the Census say about the background of Folsom?
Among Census respondents with the surname Folsom, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.5%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Folsom in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.8% (6,021 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Folsom appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.8%), Two or More Races (5.5%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Folsom (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 Folsom mean?
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "the enclosure of the people of Folc." 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 Folsom (2.38 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 surname Folsom?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.