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

Fontan, 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 Fontan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fontan in America

Fontan is the 34390th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fontan surname appeared 659 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 Fontan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fontan 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 Fontan

The surname FONTAN originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "fontaine," meaning "fountain" or "spring," which in turn comes from the Latin word "fontana." This indicates that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a fountain or spring.

The earliest recorded instances of the name FONTAN can be found in French records from the 12th and 13th centuries. One notable example is Jehan Fontan, a landowner who was mentioned in a charter from the region of Burgundy in 1289.

Over time, the name spread to other areas of France, and variations in spelling emerged, such as Fontaine, Fontaines, and Fontana. These variations reflect the influence of regional dialects and the evolution of the French language.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Livre des Métiers, an important medieval document that recorded the regulations and customs of various professions in Paris. This suggests that individuals with the surname FONTAN may have been involved in occupations related to water sources or fountains.

One notable bearer of the FONTAN surname was Pierre Fontan (1384-1457), a French scholar and theologian who served as the rector of the University of Paris. He was a prominent figure in the Council of Basel, a historic church council that attempted to reform the Catholic Church.

Another important figure was Jean de Fontan (1525-1594), a French Protestant reformer and theologian who played a significant role in the French Wars of Religion. He was a leader of the Huguenot movement and participated in the Synod of La Rochelle in 1571.

In the 17th century, the name FONTAN appears in the records of French settlers in the Americas. One such individual was Pierre Fontan (1632-1693), who was among the earliest French settlers in what is now Quebec, Canada.

During the 18th century, the FONTAN surname gained prominence in the field of medicine. René Fontan (1738-1811) was a French physician and surgeon who made important contributions to the study of anatomy and the treatment of hernias.

In the 19th century, François Fontan (1819-1891) was a French politician and lawyer who served as a member of the National Assembly during the early years of the Third Republic.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fontan

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

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

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

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