2000
#3,894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,379
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.11
Rare Last name
Fortin
A French toponymic surname derived from Old French "fort," meaning "strong," referring to a person living near a fortress.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,331 Americans carry the last name Fortin. That puts it at #4,223 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 36,733 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fortin 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
9.3K
1 in 36,733
Census rank
#4,223
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,137 bearers of the surname Fortin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4223rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fortin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fortin
Among Census respondents with the surname Fortin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Fortin 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 Fortin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.5% · 7,121
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 422
- Two or more races3.2% · 264
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.2% · 182
- Black or African American1.3% · 102
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 46
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fortin
Fortin 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
#4,029
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,814
+435 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 2.99
Rank movement Down 135 places
2020
#4,223
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,137
-677 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 2.72
Rank movement Down 194 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,894 | 8,379 | 3.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,029 | 8,814 | 2.99 | +435 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 135 places |
| 2020 | #4,223 | 8,137 | 2.72 | -677 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 194 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 Fortin 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 | #4,029 | #4,223 | -4.8% |
| Count | 8,814 | 8,137 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.99 | 2.72 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fortin bearers went from 8,814 to 8,137 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 194 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,029 to #4,223.
FAQ
Fortin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fortin?
Name Census estimates that about 9,331 living Americans carry the surname Fortin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 36,733 residents.
How common is Fortin?
Fortin ranks #4,223 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,137 people with the surname Fortin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,331), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Fortin.
Has Fortin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fortin went from 8,814 recorded bearers to 8,137. That is a decrease of 677 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,029 to #4,223.
What does the Census say about the background of Fortin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fortin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Fortin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.5% (7,121 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fortin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.5%), Hispanic (5.2%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Fortin (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 Fortin mean?
A French toponymic surname derived from Old French "fort," meaning "strong," referring to a person living near a fortress. 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 Fortin (2.72 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 share the surname Fortin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.