2000
#9,878
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,014
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.12
Rare Last name
Foor
Derived from Middle English "fore," referring to someone who lived near the ford of a river or stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,405 Americans carry the last name Foor. That puts it at #10,321 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,662 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Foor 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
3.4K
1 in 100,662
Census rank
#10,321
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,969 bearers of the surname Foor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10321st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Foor, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Foor
The surname FOOR is believed to have originated in Germany and the surrounding regions of Central Europe. It likely dates back to the Middle Ages, possibly as early as the 12th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "fuor," which referred to a furrow or trench, potentially indicating an occupational connection to agriculture or digging.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the FOOR surname can be found in historical documents from the German state of Bavaria in the late 13th century. A merchant named Hans FOOR is mentioned in a ledger from the town of Augsburg, dated 1287. This suggests that the name had already been established in the region by that time.
In the 14th century, the FOOR name appears in various records from the neighboring regions of Austria and Switzerland. A notable example is Konrad FOOR, a skilled craftsman from the city of Zurich, who is mentioned in guild records from 1342.
The FOOR surname can also be traced back to the Netherlands, where it may have evolved from the Dutch word "voor," meaning "before" or "in front of." A Johannes FOOR is listed in a census record from the city of Utrecht in 1451.
As the surname spread across Europe, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as FOHR, FOER, and FUHR. These alternative spellings can be found in various historical documents from different regions.
One notable figure bearing the FOOR name was Hans FOOR, a German mathematician and astronomer born in 1518 in the town of Bamberg. He made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and published several influential works during his lifetime.
Another prominent individual was Maria FOOR, a Dutch painter born in 1640 in Amsterdam. She was renowned for her exquisite still-life and floral paintings, which can be found in several prestigious art collections across Europe.
In the 18th century, Johann FOOR, a German composer and organist from the city of Leipzig, gained recognition for his sacred music compositions and his work as a church organist from 1732 to 1781.
The FOOR surname also appears in historical records from France, where it was likely introduced by German immigrants. One notable French bearer of the name was Pierre FOOR, a military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Légion d'Honneur for his bravery in the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805.
Another individual of note was Elizabeth FOOR, an English writer and poet born in 1822 in London. She published several volumes of poetry and was celebrated for her lyrical style and vivid descriptions of nature.
While the FOOR surname has its roots in Central Europe, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by migration and historical events. However, its origins and early history can be traced back to the medieval era in the Germanic regions of Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Foor
Among Census respondents with the surname Foor, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Foor 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 Foor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 2,745
- Two or more races3.8% · 113
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 56
- Black or African American0.9% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Foor
Foor 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
#10,348
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,113
+99 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 470 places
2020
#10,321
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,969
-144 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Up 27 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,878 | 3,014 | 1.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,348 | 3,113 | 1.06 | +99 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 470 places |
| 2020 | #10,321 | 2,969 | 0.99 | -144 bearers (-4.6%) | Up 27 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 Foor 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 | #10,348 | #10,321 | 0.3% |
| Count | 3,113 | 2,969 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.06 | 0.99 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Foor bearers went from 3,113 to 2,969 (-4.6% change). The surname moved up 27 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,348 to #10,321.
FAQ
Foor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Foor?
Name Census estimates that about 3,405 living Americans carry the surname Foor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,662 residents.
How common is Foor?
Foor ranks #10,321 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,969 people with the surname Foor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,405), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Foor.
Has Foor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Foor went from 3,113 recorded bearers to 2,969. That is a decrease of 144 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,348 to #10,321.
What does the Census say about the background of Foor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Foor, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Foor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (2,745 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Foor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Foor (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 Foor mean?
Derived from Middle English "fore," referring to someone who lived near the ford of a river or stream. 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 Foor (0.99 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 Foor?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.