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

Footman, 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 Footman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Footman in America

Footman is the 21842nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Footman surname appeared 1,190 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 Footman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Footman 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 Footman

The surname Footman has its origins in England, where it first appeared as an occupational name during the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Old English word "fot," meaning foot, and the suffix "-man," indicating a servant or attendant. It refers to a servant who attended on foot, often running ahead of a horse-drawn carriage or accompanying a person on foot.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Footman can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Foteman." This historical record provides valuable insights into the distribution of surnames across England during the 11th century.

In the 14th century, records from the city of York mention a John Footman, who was a prominent citizen and landowner. Another early reference is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1327, which list a Roger Foteman among the county's residents.

During the 16th century, the name Footman became more widespread, and variations in spelling emerged, such as Footeman and Foottman. One notable bearer of the name was William Footman (c. 1520-1592), a wealthy merchant and alderman from the city of Bristol.

In the 17th century, the surname Footman gained further recognition with the rise of Thomas Footman (1633-1676), a noted English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Charlton Musgrove in Somerset.

As the name spread across England, it also took on various localized spellings, such as Footeman in the county of Norfolk and Foottman in Worcestershire. The 18th century saw the birth of John Footman (1767-1843), a renowned English botanist and horticulturist who made significant contributions to the study of plants.

Throughout its history, the surname Footman has been associated with numerous individuals from different walks of life, including William Footman (1785-1867), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Kent, and Sir Robert Footman (1834-1911), a prominent lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for East Cambridgeshire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Footman

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

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

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

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