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

Fortin, 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 Fortin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fortin in America

Fortin is the 4029th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fortin surname appeared 8,814 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Fortin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fortin 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 Fortin

The surname FORTIN originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "fort," meaning strong or fortified, and was likely given to someone who lived near a fortress or came from a fortified town or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name FORTIN dates back to the 13th century in the region of Normandy, France. The name appears in various medieval records and manuscripts, such as the Livre des Bourgeois de Rouen, a registry of notable citizens of the city of Rouen from 1292 to 1312.

In the 14th century, the FORTIN surname was also found in the neighboring regions of Picardy and Île-de-France, suggesting that the name had spread from its original Normandy roots. Some variations in spelling, such as FORTIN, FORTYN, and FORTAIN, were common during this period.

One notable individual with the FORTIN surname was Jean FORTIN, a French architect and engineer who lived from 1540 to 1612. He is best known for his work on fortifications and military architecture, including the design of the citadel of Saint-Martin-de-Ré on the island of Ré off the western coast of France.

Another historically significant figure was Jacques FORTIN, born in 1635 in Rouen, France. He was a French explorer and fur trader who played a pivotal role in the early exploration and settlement of Canada. In 1673, FORTIN led an expedition west from Quebec and is credited with being one of the first Europeans to reach the area now known as Duluth, Minnesota.

In the 17th century, the FORTIN name also appeared in various records related to the French settlement of Canada, particularly in the regions of Quebec and Acadia (present-day Maritime provinces). One example is Louis FORTIN, a farmer and landowner born in 1657 in Quebec City, who was granted a large tract of land along the St. Lawrence River.

During the 18th century, the FORTIN surname continued to flourish in both France and Canada. Notably, Pierre FORTIN, born in 1742 in Quebec, was a renowned mathematician and surveyor. He made significant contributions to the mapping and surveying of the Quebec region and served as the Surveyor General of Lower Canada (now Quebec) from 1800 until his death in 1832.

Another prominent individual was Jean-Baptiste FORTIN, a French physicist and instrument maker born in 1776. He is best known for his contributions to the development of precision scientific instruments, including barometers and thermometers, which were widely used in meteorological and navigational applications during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fortin

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

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

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

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