2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fonvielle
From a small village in southern France.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Fonvielle. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fonvielle 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Fonvielle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fonvielle, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fonvielle
The surname Fonvielle has its origins in France, specifically in the Occitan region of southern France. It likely emerged during the late Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Occitan words "fon" meaning spring or fountain, and "vielha" meaning old, suggesting a connection to an old spring or well.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Armorial Général de France, a collection of noble family coats of arms compiled in the late 17th century. Here, the Fonvielle family is listed as being from the region of Languedoc.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Jacques Fonvielle served as a merchant and alderman in the city of Marseille. He left behind several documents detailing his business dealings and transactions.
During the 16th century, the Fonvielle name appeared in records from the town of Aigues-Mortes, a fortified city in southern France. It is likely that the name originated from this region and its association with natural springs or wells.
In the 18th century, a French mathematician and astronomer named Joseph Jérôme Lefrançois de Lalande (1732-1807) made mention of an astronomer named Fonvielle in his works, though little is known about this individual.
Another notable figure was Wilfrid de Fonvielle (1824-1914), a French writer, journalist, and pioneer of aviation. He wrote extensively on the subject of aeronautics and was a strong advocate for the development of lighter-than-air aircraft.
In the realm of literature, there was a French author named Henri Fonvielle (1854-1929) who wrote several novels and short stories, often exploring themes of love and relationships.
Additionally, a French engineer named Henri Fonvielle (1878-1949) made significant contributions to the field of hydraulics and was involved in the construction of various dams and hydroelectric projects in France and abroad.
The surname Fonvielle has persisted throughout history, though it remains relatively uncommon outside of France and the Occitan region. Its origins and connections to natural springs and wells provide a unique glimpse into the rich cultural heritage of southern France.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fonvielle
Among Census respondents with the surname Fonvielle, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Fonvielle 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 Fonvielle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.1% · 98
- Two or more races3.9% · 4
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fonvielle
Fonvielle 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+5 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,413 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-10 bearers (-8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 7,981 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 4,413 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-8.8%) | Down 7,981 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 Fonvielle 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 | #146,201 | #154,182 | -5.5% |
| Count | 113 | 103 | -8.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fonvielle bearers went from 113 to 103 (-8.8% change). The surname moved down 7,981 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #154,182.
FAQ
Fonvielle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fonvielle?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Fonvielle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Fonvielle?
Fonvielle ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Fonvielle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Fonvielle.
Has Fonvielle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fonvielle went from 113 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Fonvielle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fonvielle, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Fonvielle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.1% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fonvielle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.1%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Black (1.0%). 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 Fonvielle (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 Fonvielle mean?
From a small village in southern France. 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 Fonvielle (0.03 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 share the surname Fonvielle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.