2000
#2,856
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,542
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.28
Uncommon Last name
Fontaine
Derived from a French topographic name indicating someone who lived near a spring or well.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,091 Americans carry the last name Fontaine. That puts it at #3,069 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,182 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fontaine 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Fontaine with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,182
Census rank
#3,069
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,416 bearers of the surname Fontaine in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3069th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fontaine, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Black (10.0%) and Hispanic (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fontaine
Among Census respondents with the surname Fontaine, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Black (10.0%) and Hispanic (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Fontaine 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 Fontaine surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.5% · 9,072
- Black or African American10.0% · 1,137
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 628
- Two or more races3.8% · 435
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 98
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 46
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fontaine
Fontaine 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
#3,012
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,901
+359 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 4.03
Rank movement Down 156 places
2020
#3,069
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,416
-485 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 3.82
Rank movement Down 57 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,856 | 11,542 | 4.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,012 | 11,901 | 4.03 | +359 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 156 places |
| 2020 | #3,069 | 11,416 | 3.82 | -485 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 57 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 Fontaine 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 | #3,012 | #3,069 | -1.9% |
| Count | 11,901 | 11,416 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 4.03 | 3.82 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fontaine bearers went from 11,901 to 11,416 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 57 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,012 to #3,069.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Fontaine
FAQ
Fontaine surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fontaine?
Name Census estimates that about 13,091 living Americans carry the surname Fontaine. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,182 residents.
How common is Fontaine?
Fontaine ranks #3,069 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,416 people with the surname Fontaine. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,091), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Fontaine.
Has Fontaine become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fontaine went from 11,901 recorded bearers to 11,416. That is a decrease of 485 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,012 to #3,069.
What does the Census say about the background of Fontaine?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fontaine, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are Black (10.0%) and Hispanic (5.5%). 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 Fontaine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.5% (9,072 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fontaine appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.5%), Black (10.0%), Hispanic (5.5%). 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 Fontaine (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 Fontaine mean?
Derived from a French topographic name indicating someone who lived near a spring or well. 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 Fontaine (3.82 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 Fontaine?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.