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

Fontus, 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 Fontus surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fontus in America

Fontus is the 102197th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fontus surname appeared 176 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 Fontus.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fontus 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 Fontus

The surname "FONTUS" is of French origin, first appearing in the late 13th century in the region of Provence in southern France. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "font," meaning "spring" or "fountain," referring to someone who lived near a natural spring or well.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a medieval charter from the year 1287, which mentions a certain "Guilhem de Fontus" as a landowner in the village of Sainte-Tulle, near the city of Aix-en-Provence. This suggests that the surname was already well-established in the area by that time.

The name "FONTUS" also appears in several municipal records from the 14th and 15th centuries in the town of Avignon, which was then part of the Papal States. These records include tax rolls and census documents, indicating that the family had a significant presence in the region during that period.

Notably, a prominent member of the FONTUS family was Jean-Baptiste FONTUS (1605-1672), a French cleric and scholar who served as the Bishop of Vence from 1655 until his death. He was known for his extensive writings on religious topics and his efforts to promote education in his diocese.

Another notable figure was Louis FONTUS (1768-1843), a French military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of general and was awarded the prestigious Légion d'Honneur for his service and bravery on the battlefield.

In the 17th century, a branch of the FONTUS family migrated to the French colony of Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti), where they established themselves as wealthy plantation owners. One of their descendants, François-Joseph FONTUS (1784-1861), played a significant role in the Haitian Revolution and was a close associate of the revolutionary leader Toussaint Louverture.

The surname "FONTUS" has also been found in various historical records from other parts of Europe, such as Italy and Spain, suggesting that members of the family may have migrated or established branches in these regions over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fontus

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!