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

Folson, 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 Folson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Folson in America

Folson is the 55741st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Folson surname appeared 368 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 Folson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Folson 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 Folson

The surname Folson has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English words 'fal' meaning 'fallow' or 'untilled land' and 'tun' meaning 'enclosure' or 'settlement'. This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived near or worked on fallow land.

Early variations of the spelling include Folston, Faulston, and Fallowston, reflecting the regional dialects of the time. The name is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Fallechestone' in the county of Warwickshire. This entry provides one of the earliest known references to the name.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Robert de Fallowston, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195. Another early bearer of the name was William de Faulston, who was recorded in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name Folson became associated with several notable individuals. Sir John Folson, a knight from Oxfordshire, was a distinguished military commander who served in the Hundred Years' War under Edward III. He was born around 1320 and died in 1382.

Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Folson, a wealthy landowner and member of the gentry from Warwickshire. He was born in 1375 and served as a Member of Parliament for Warwick in 1417.

In the 16th century, the surname was sometimes spelled as Foulston or Fowlston, reflecting the varied pronunciations of the time. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Richard Foulston, a successful merchant and alderman in the City of London, who lived from 1525 to 1595.

The name Folson also has connections to several place names in England. For example, there is a village called Folston in Nottinghamshire, which likely derived its name from an early settler with the surname. Similarly, the town of Foulston in Wiltshire may have originated from the same source.

Throughout its history, the surname Folson has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including nobles, military leaders, landowners, and merchants. While not an extremely common surname, it has left its mark on the historical records of England and continues to be carried by families to this day.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Folson

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

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

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

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