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

Fontaine, 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 Fontaine surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fontaine in America

Fontaine is the 3012th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fontaine surname appeared 11,901 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Fontaine.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fontaine 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 Fontaine

The surname Fontaine originated from the French language and was first recorded in the regions of Normandy and Brittany in France during the early Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "fontaine," meaning "fountain" or "spring," which itself stems from the Latin word "fontana."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Fontaine can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This medieval manuscript lists several individuals bearing the surname, indicating that it was already established by the 11th century.

In the 12th century, a Norman knight named Ralph de Fontaine accompanied King Richard I on the Third Crusade. He is mentioned in historical chronicles of the time, demonstrating the presence of the surname among the nobility during that era.

During the 13th century, the Fontaine family established themselves in the village of Fontaine-la-Soret, located in the Eure department of Normandy. This place name, derived from the surname, further reinforces the connection between the family and the word "fontaine."

One notable individual with the surname Fontaine was Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695), a renowned French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. His collection of fables, known as "Fables of La Fontaine," has been widely acclaimed and translated into numerous languages.

Another prominent figure was Pierre Fontaine (1662-1728), a French Huguenot religious leader and writer who fled to England during the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. He authored several influential works on Protestantism and served as a minister in various congregations in London.

In the 18th century, Louis de Fontaine (1757-1821) was a French military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War as a major general in the Continental Army. He was later awarded the prestigious Order of the Cincinnati for his service.

Marie Fontaine (1891-1985) was a French World War I nurse who served with the Red Cross and was awarded the Croix de Guerre for her bravery and dedication during the conflict.

More recently, Alfred Fontaine (1921-2010) was a French-Canadian artist and sculptor renowned for his abstract and modernist works, which were widely exhibited in Canada and internationally.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fontaine

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

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

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

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