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

Fonda, 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 Fonda surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fonda in America

Fonda is the 18729th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fonda surname appeared 1,466 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Fonda.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fonda 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 Fonda

The surname Fonda originated in Italy during the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "fonda," which means "deep place" or "hollow." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived in a low-lying or sunken area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Fonda surname can be found in a document from the 13th century, where a person named Guglielmo Fonda was mentioned in a tax record from the city of Genoa. This indicates that the name was already in use by that time.

In the 14th century, the Fonda family was known to be prominent in the northern Italian region of Piedmont. The name appears in several historical records from that time, including land deeds and legal documents. Some notable individuals from this period include Pietro Fonda, a merchant who lived in the town of Asti in the late 1300s.

During the Renaissance period, the Fonda family gained prominence in the city of Venice, where they were involved in various trades and professions. One of the most famous Fondas from this era was Antonio Fonda, a renowned painter who lived from 1485 to 1558.

In the 17th century, the Fonda name began to spread beyond Italy, as members of the family immigrated to other parts of Europe. One notable example is Jean-Baptiste Fonda, a French soldier who fought in the Thirty Years' War and was born in 1612.

As the centuries passed, the Fonda surname continued to be carried by notable individuals in various fields. One example is the American actress Jane Fonda, born in 1937, who is known for her work in films such as "Klute" and "Coming Home." Another famous Fonda is her father, Henry Fonda, a renowned actor born in 1905, who starred in classic movies like "The Grapes of Wrath" and "On Golden Pond."

It is worth noting that variations of the Fonda surname have also existed throughout history, including Fonda di, Fondaco, and Fondari, among others. These variations often reflect the different regional dialects and spelling conventions of the areas where the name was used.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fonda

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!