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

Foran, 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 Foran surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Foran in America

Foran is the 9808th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Foran surname appeared 3,301 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Foran.

We can also compare 2010 data for Foran 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 Foran

The surname Foran is believed to have originated in Ireland, with its roots traced back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Irish Gaelic word "forann," which means "wanderer" or "stranger." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who traveled or lived in a different region than their birthplace.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Foran can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention a Foran family from County Sligo, indicating the name's presence in that region during that time period.

In the 17th century, the Foran surname appeared in the Hearth Money Rolls, a tax record kept in Ireland during the reign of King Charles II. This document provides evidence of the name's continued existence and distribution across various parts of the country.

During the 18th century, notable figures bearing the Foran surname emerged. One such individual was Patrick Foran (1707-1782), an Irish priest and educator who served as the president of the prestigious Douai College in France.

Another notable Foran was John Foran (1758-1828), an Irish-born soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He later settled in Virginia and became a prominent landowner and politician, serving in the Virginia House of Delegates.

In the 19th century, the Foran name gained further recognition with the birth of John Foran (1824-1890), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist. He made his fortune in the shipping industry and later became a significant benefactor to various charitable causes in New York City.

Another prominent figure from this era was William Foran (1842-1908), an Irish-born civil engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of the New York City subway system. He was responsible for overseeing the excavation and tunneling work for several key subway lines.

As the centuries progressed, the Foran surname continued to spread across Ireland and to other parts of the world through emigration. While its origins can be traced back to specific regions of Ireland, the name has since become widely distributed, with individuals bearing the Foran surname found in various countries and communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Foran

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

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

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

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