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

Formby, 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 Formby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Formby in America

Formby is the 29947th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Formby surname appeared 784 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 Formby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Formby 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 Formby

The surname Formby originates from the small village of Formby in Lancashire, England. The name is derived from the Old Norse words "formal" and "byr," meaning "old" and "village" respectively. It is believed that the name first appeared in the 11th century when the Norman conquerors settled in the area.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Formby can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Formebi." This document was commissioned by William the Conqueror to record the land holdings and resources of England.

During the Middle Ages, the Formby family held land and property in the village of Formby. They were influential in the local community and played a role in the development of the area. In the 13th century, a member of the Formby family, John de Formby, was recorded as holding a manor in the village.

Over the centuries, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, such as Formbie, Formbee, and Formbey. These variations were likely due to the way the name was pronounced and recorded by scribes.

One of the most notable individuals with the surname Formby was George Formby (1904-1986), a famous English comedian, actor, and singer. He was particularly known for his cheeky humor and his performances with a banjo and ukulele. His popularity peaked in the 1930s and 1940s.

Another prominent figure with the Formby surname was Thomas Formby (1789-1835), an English clergyman and botanist. He was the author of several works on plant life and served as the vicar of St. Mary's Church in Formby.

In the 19th century, John Formby (1823-1910) was a notable English architect who designed numerous buildings in Liverpool and the surrounding area. His works included churches, schools, and private residences.

A more recent individual with the Formby surname was Eleanor Formby (1920-2016), an English actress who appeared in various television shows and films throughout the 20th century. She was known for her roles in classic British comedies.

Another noteworthy figure was Sir Arthur Formby (1875-1964), a British businessman and philanthropist. He made significant contributions to various charitable organizations and received a knighthood for his services to industry and philanthropy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Formby

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

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

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

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