2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fonts
A surname derived from the Old French "font" meaning fountain or spring, referring to one's residence near such a water source.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Fonts. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fonts 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Fonts in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fonts, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 64.5%. The next largest groups are White (20.7%) and Black (11.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fonts
The surname "FONTS" is believed to have originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "font," which referred to a spring or fountain. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a notable spring or fountain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed a Walter de la Fonte in Cambridgeshire, England. It's possible that this Walter was of French ancestry and that the name had already been anglicized by that time.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, including "de la Fonte," "de Fonte," and "Fonte." These variations likely reflected regional spellings and accents. The name was also found in other areas of England, such as Yorkshire, where a John de Fonte was recorded in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379.
A notable bearer of the name was Jean de la Fonte, a French explorer and navigator who lived in the late 16th century. He is best known for his voyages to the Arctic regions and his search for the Northwest Passage.
In the 17th century, the name began to be spelled more consistently as "Fonts." One example is William Fonts, an English clergyman who was born in 1620 and served as the rector of Horkstow in Lincolnshire.
Another notable individual with this surname was Jacques Fonts, a French painter who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was known for his portraits and religious works, and his paintings can be found in various churches and museums in France.
During the 18th century, the name "Fonts" appeared in various parts of Europe, including Germany, where Johann Fonts, a composer and organist, was born in 1756. He is known for his contributions to church music and his work as a music teacher.
As the name spread across Europe, it also found its way to other parts of the world, including North America. One example is James Fonts, an American soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War and was born in 1755.
Throughout history, the surname "Fonts" has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, clergymen, explorers, and soldiers. While its origins can be traced back to France, the name has since spread across the globe, reflecting the diversity and richness of human migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fonts
Among Census respondents with the surname Fonts, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 64.5%. The next largest groups are White (20.7%) and Black (11.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Fonts 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 Fonts surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino64.5% · 78
- White20.7% · 25
- Black or African American11.6% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fonts
Fonts 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
+13 bearers (+10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 2,194 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-12 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,060 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | +13 bearers (+10.8%) | Up 2,194 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 13,060 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 Fonts 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 | #128,249 | #141,309 | -10.2% |
| Count | 133 | 121 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fonts bearers went from 133 to 121 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 13,060 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #141,309.
FAQ
Fonts surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fonts?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Fonts. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Fonts?
Fonts ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Fonts. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Fonts.
Has Fonts become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fonts went from 133 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Fonts?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fonts, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 64.5%. The next largest groups are White (20.7%) and Black (11.6%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Fonts in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.5% (78 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fonts appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (64.5%), White (20.7%), Black (11.6%). 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 Fonts (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 Fonts mean?
A surname derived from the Old French "font" meaning fountain or spring, referring to one's residence near such a water source. 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 Fonts (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Fonts?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.