2000
#11,570
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,492
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.92
Rare Last name
Fondren
French habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "fountain" or "spring."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,038 Americans carry the last name Fondren. That puts it at #11,380 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,822 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fondren 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
3.0K
1 in 112,822
Census rank
#11,380
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,649 bearers of the surname Fondren in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11380th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fondren, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.3%. The next largest groups are Black (29.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fondren
The surname Fondren is believed to have originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "fonder," which means "to found" or "to establish." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was involved in the founding or establishment of a town, village, or other settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fondren appears in a French parish register from the 14th century. The entry mentions a man named Jacques Fondren, who was a landowner in the region of Normandy. It is possible that the name was initially associated with this area of northern France.
In the 15th century, there are records of a family with the surname Fondren living in the town of Rouen, which was an important commercial center at the time. This suggests that the name may have been associated with trade or commerce during this period.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Fondren name began to spread across France and into other parts of Europe. One notable figure from this era was Jean Fondren, a French philosopher and writer who lived from 1586 to 1652. His works explored themes of ethics and morality, and he was considered an influential thinker of his time.
In the 18th century, a man named Pierre Fondren (1732-1809) gained recognition as a skilled architect and engineer. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings and structures in Paris, including the Palais-Royal and the Théâtre de l'Odéon.
As the Fondren name continued to spread in the 19th century, it also made its way to other parts of the world, including the United States. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was that of Jacques Fondren (1812-1887), a French immigrant who settled in Louisiana and became a successful businessman and landowner.
Another notable figure from the 19th century was Marie Fondren (1845-1923), a French novelist and playwright. Her works often explored themes of love, passion, and social issues of the time, and she was considered a pioneering figure in the French literary scene.
In the 20th century, the Fondren name continued to be associated with various fields, including academia, business, and the arts. One example is Walter Fondren (1901-1979), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Fondren Library at Rice University in Houston, Texas.
Overall, the surname Fondren has a rich history spanning several centuries and regions, with its origins rooted in the French language and culture. While it has evolved and spread across the globe, the name continues to carry a sense of establishment and foundation, reflecting its linguistic roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fondren
Among Census respondents with the surname Fondren, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.3%. The next largest groups are Black (29.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Fondren 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 Fondren surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.3% · 1,650
- Black or African American29.4% · 779
- Two or more races4.9% · 129
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 65
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fondren
Fondren 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
#11,759
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,664
+172 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 189 places
2020
#11,380
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,649
-15 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 379 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,570 | 2,492 | 0.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,759 | 2,664 | 0.90 | +172 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 189 places |
| 2020 | #11,380 | 2,649 | 0.89 | -15 bearers (-0.6%) | Up 379 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 Fondren 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 | #11,759 | #11,380 | 3.2% |
| Count | 2,664 | 2,649 | -0.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 0.89 | -1.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fondren bearers went from 2,664 to 2,649 (-0.6% change). The surname moved up 379 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,759 to #11,380.
FAQ
Fondren surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fondren?
Name Census estimates that about 3,038 living Americans carry the surname Fondren. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,822 residents.
How common is Fondren?
Fondren ranks #11,380 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 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 2,649 people with the surname Fondren. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,038), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 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 Fondren.
Has Fondren become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fondren went from 2,664 recorded bearers to 2,649. That is a decrease of 15 (-0.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,759 to #11,380.
What does the Census say about the background of Fondren?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fondren, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.3%. The next largest groups are Black (29.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Fondren in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.3% (1,650 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fondren appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.3%), Black (29.4%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Fondren (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 Fondren mean?
French habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "fountain" or "spring." 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 Fondren (0.89 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 Fondren?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.