2000
#117,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Fortenbury
A habitation surname referring to someone from a location with a fortified or defended borough.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Fortenbury. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fortenbury 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Fortenbury in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fortenbury, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fortenbury
The surname Fortenbury has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "forð" and "burh," which together translate to "forth town" or "forward town." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place or settlement located along a major road or route.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Buckinghamshire from 1195, which mentions a person named Robertus de Fortenbury. This indicates that the name was already established in the region by the late 12th century.
During the 13th century, the name appeared in various medieval records, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1235, which referred to a landowner named William de Fortenbury. This suggests that the Fortenbury family held significant landholdings in the area at that time.
In the 14th century, the name was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls for Oxfordshire in 1327, where a Thomas Fortenbury was listed as a taxpayer. This provides evidence of the name's continued presence in different parts of England.
One notable bearer of the Fortenbury name was Sir John Fortenbury, a prominent English knight who lived during the 15th century. He is mentioned in several historical accounts for his military service and participation in the Wars of the Roses.
Another figure of note was Richard Fortenbury, born in 1598, who was an English clergyman and author. He published several works on theology and religious subjects during his lifetime.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in parish records from various counties, including the baptism of Elizabeth Fortenbury in Warwickshire in 1632, and the marriage of Thomas Fortenbury and Anne Smith in Oxfordshire in 1670.
William Fortenbury, born in 1724, was a notable figure from the 18th century. He was a successful merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire, and his estate and business dealings are well-documented in local records from that period.
The 19th century saw the emergence of Edward Fortenbury, born in 1812, who was a renowned architect and designer. He was responsible for the construction of several iconic buildings and landmarks in London, cementing the Fortenbury name in the annals of British architecture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fortenbury
Among Census respondents with the surname Fortenbury, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Fortenbury 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 Fortenbury surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fortenbury
Fortenbury 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
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
-10 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,510 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-20 bearers (-15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,591 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #117,538 | 137 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 15,510 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-15.7%) | Down 18,591 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 Fortenbury 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 | #133,048 | #151,639 | -14.0% |
| Count | 127 | 107 | -15.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fortenbury bearers went from 127 to 107 (-15.7% change). The surname moved down 18,591 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #151,639.
FAQ
Fortenbury surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fortenbury?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Fortenbury. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Fortenbury?
Fortenbury ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Fortenbury. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Fortenbury.
Has Fortenbury become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fortenbury went from 127 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 20 (-15.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Fortenbury?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fortenbury, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (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 Fortenbury in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fortenbury appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (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 Fortenbury (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 Fortenbury mean?
A habitation surname referring to someone from a location with a fortified or defended borough. 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 Fortenbury (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Fortenbury?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.