2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fooce
A surname possibly derived from a French place name or location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Fooce. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fooce 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Fooce in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fooce, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fooce
The surname FOOCE is believed to have originated in the Netherlands during the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Dutch word "foos," which means "fool" or "jester." The name may have originally been given as a nickname to someone who was known for their comedic or entertaining abilities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name FOOCE can be found in the Dutch town of Leiden in the late 1500s. A man named Pieter FOOCE was listed as a resident in a local census record from 1587. It's possible that the name was initially spelled differently, such as "Foose" or "Fouse," before evolving into its current form.
In the 17th century, the FOOCE name began to appear in various parts of the Netherlands and surrounding areas. A notable figure from this time was Jan FOOCE, a merchant born in Amsterdam in 1634. He was involved in the Dutch East India Company and made several voyages to the East Indies.
As the FOOCE family spread across Europe, the name took on different spellings and variations. In Germany, for example, the name was sometimes written as "Foutze" or "Foutsche." A German immigrant named Hans FOOCE settled in Pennsylvania in the early 1700s, bringing the name to the American colonies.
One of the most prominent individuals with the FOOCE surname was Willem FOOCE, a Dutch painter and engraver who lived from 1678 to 1742. He was known for his intricate etchings and landscapes, many of which can be found in museums across Europe.
Another notable figure was Johannes FOOCE, a Dutch theologian and scholar born in Rotterdam in 1789. He wrote extensively on religious topics and served as a professor at the University of Utrecht for many years.
As the FOOCE name spread throughout the world, it continued to be associated with various professions and walks of life. In the 19th century, a British soldier named George FOOCE served in the Crimean War and was recognized for his bravery in battle.
While the surname FOOCE is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich cultural heritage of the Netherlands and the larger European diaspora. Its unique origins and evolution reflect the diverse histories and experiences of those who have carried this name through the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fooce
Among Census respondents with the surname Fooce, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Fooce 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 Fooce surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 108
- Two or more races5.2% · 6
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fooce
Fooce 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+6 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,333 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+10 bearers (+9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,741 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 3,333 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.4%) | Up 8,741 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 Fooce 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 | #153,769 | #145,028 | 5.7% |
| Count | 106 | 116 | 9.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fooce bearers went from 106 to 116 (+9.4% change). The surname moved up 8,741 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #145,028.
FAQ
Fooce surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fooce?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Fooce. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Fooce?
Fooce ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Fooce. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Fooce.
Has Fooce become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fooce went from 106 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 10 (+9.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Fooce?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fooce, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Fooce in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fooce appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Two or More Races (5.2%), Black (1.7%). 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 Fooce (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 Fooce mean?
A surname possibly derived from a French place name or location. 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 Fooce (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 people have the surname Fooce?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.