2000
#6,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,833
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.79
Rare Last name
Fortney
Derived from a place name meaning "ford by the island" or "ford by the enclosure" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,002 Americans carry the last name Fortney. That puts it at #7,369 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,523 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fortney 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
5.0K
1 in 68,523
Census rank
#7,369
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,362 bearers of the surname Fortney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7369th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fortney, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fortney
The surname Fortney is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the region of Lancashire. It is derived from the Old English words "fort" and "ney," which together mean "near the fort" or "near the stronghold."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Fortney name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Fortenai." This entry suggests that the name was likely associated with a specific location or estate near a fortified structure.
In the 13th century, variations of the name, such as "Forteneye" and "Fortenay," began to appear in various historical records, reflecting the evolving spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
One notable individual bearing the Fortney name was Sir John Fortney, who lived in the late 14th century and served as a knight in the service of King Richard II. Records indicate that Sir John Fortney participated in military campaigns and held lands in Lancashire.
During the 16th century, the Fortney family established itself in the town of Eccleston, Lancashire, where they owned properties and held influential positions within the local community. Thomas Fortney, born in 1542, was a prominent figure in Eccleston and served as a magistrate and landowner.
In the 17th century, the Fortney surname spread beyond Lancashire, with members of the family settling in other parts of England. William Fortney, born in 1621, was a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, where he played a significant role in the local economy and governance.
As the Fortney name continued to disperse throughout England, it also found its way to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the American colonies. One notable figure was Robert Fortney, born in 1745 in Scotland, who later immigrated to Virginia and fought in the American Revolutionary War.
Another significant individual bearing the Fortney surname was Mary Fortney, born in 1789 in Ireland. She immigrated to the United States in the early 19th century and became a prominent figure in the abolitionist movement, advocating for the abolition of slavery.
Throughout its long history, the Fortney surname has been associated with various occupations, including landowners, merchants, soldiers, and public servants, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who have carried this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fortney
Among Census respondents with the surname Fortney, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Fortney 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 Fortney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 3,843
- Two or more races3.6% · 158
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 157
- Black or African American3.2% · 141
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fortney
Fortney 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
#6,914
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,853
+20 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 1.65
Rank movement Down 434 places
2020
#7,369
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,362
-491 bearers (-10.1%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Down 455 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,480 | 4,833 | 1.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,914 | 4,853 | 1.65 | +20 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 434 places |
| 2020 | #7,369 | 4,362 | 1.46 | -491 bearers (-10.1%) | Down 455 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 Fortney 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 | #6,914 | #7,369 | -6.6% |
| Count | 4,853 | 4,362 | -10.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.65 | 1.46 | -11.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fortney bearers went from 4,853 to 4,362 (-10.1% change). The surname moved down 455 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,914 to #7,369.
FAQ
Fortney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fortney?
Name Census estimates that about 5,002 living Americans carry the surname Fortney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,523 residents.
How common is Fortney?
Fortney ranks #7,369 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.46 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 4,362 people with the surname Fortney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,002), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.46 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 Fortney.
Has Fortney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fortney went from 4,853 recorded bearers to 4,362. That is a decrease of 491 (-10.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,914 to #7,369.
What does the Census say about the background of Fortney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fortney, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Fortney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (3,843 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fortney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Fortney (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 Fortney mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "ford by the island" or "ford by the enclosure" in Old English. 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 Fortney (1.46 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 are called Fortney?
You can see how many people have the surname Fortney on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.