2000
#9,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,160
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.17
Rare Last name
Foran
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic word "fórán," meaning "exile" or "wanderer."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,401 Americans carry the last name Foran. That puts it at #10,326 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,780 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Foran 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Foran with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 100,780
Census rank
#10,326
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,966 bearers of the surname Foran in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10326th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Foran, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Foran
Among Census respondents with the surname Foran, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Foran 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 Foran surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 2,708
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 111
- Two or more races3.1% · 91
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 27
- Black or African American0.6% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Foran
Foran 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
#9,808
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,301
+141 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 372 places
2020
#10,326
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,966
-335 bearers (-10.1%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 518 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,436 | 3,160 | 1.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,808 | 3,301 | 1.12 | +141 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 372 places |
| 2020 | #10,326 | 2,966 | 0.99 | -335 bearers (-10.1%) | Down 518 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 Foran 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 | #9,808 | #10,326 | -5.3% |
| Count | 3,301 | 2,966 | -10.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.12 | 0.99 | -11.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Foran bearers went from 3,301 to 2,966 (-10.1% change). The surname moved down 518 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,808 to #10,326.
FAQ
Foran surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Foran?
Name Census estimates that about 3,401 living Americans carry the surname Foran. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,780 residents.
How common is Foran?
Foran ranks #10,326 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 2,966 people with the surname Foran. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,401), 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 Foran.
Has Foran become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Foran went from 3,301 recorded bearers to 2,966. That is a decrease of 335 (-10.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,808 to #10,326.
What does the Census say about the background of Foran?
Among Census respondents with the surname Foran, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Foran in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (2,708 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Foran appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Foran (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 Foran mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic word "fórán," meaning "exile" or "wanderer." 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 Foran (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 have the surname Foran?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.