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

Fonken, 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 Fonken surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fonken in America

Fonken is the 108734th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fonken surname appeared 163 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 Fonken.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fonken 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 Fonken

The surname Fonken is believed to have originated in the Netherlands during the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Dutch word "vonk," which means "spark" or "flame." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who worked with fire, such as a blacksmith or a glassblower.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fonken can be found in the archives of the city of Amsterdam, where a person named Jan Fonken is listed as a resident in 1587. Another early mention of the name is in the baptismal records of the Dutch Reformed Church in Leiden, where a child named Pieter Fonken was baptized in 1612.

In the 17th century, the Fonken family appeared to have spread to other parts of the Netherlands, as well as to neighboring regions. For instance, a man named Gerrit Fonken was born in the village of Oosterbeek in 1645, and later moved to the city of Arnhem, where he worked as a baker.

As the name Fonken became more widespread, it also underwent some variations in spelling. In the 18th century, the name was sometimes written as "Funcken" or "Vonken," reflecting its possible connection to the Dutch word "vonk."

One notable figure who bore the Fonken surname was Willem Fonken, a Dutch artist who lived in the late 18th century. He was known for his landscape paintings and is considered one of the foremost representatives of the Dutch Romantic movement.

Another individual of note was Johanna Fonken, a Dutch feminist and suffragette who was born in 1867. She played a significant role in the struggle for women's rights in the Netherlands and was a prominent figure in the early 20th century women's movement.

In more recent times, the name Fonken has been carried by several accomplished individuals, such as the Dutch composer and conductor Reinbert Fonken (1924-2008), and the Belgian artist and sculptor Jan Fonken (1927-2020).

While the surname Fonken is not among the most common in the Netherlands, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life over the centuries, reflecting the diverse heritage and cultural traditions of the Dutch people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fonken

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

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

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

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