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

Fortune, 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 Fortune surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fortune in America

Fortune is the 3051st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fortune surname appeared 11,748 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Fortune.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fortune 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 Fortune

The surname Fortune has its origins in Anglo-Norman French and is derived from the word 'fortun', meaning luck or chance. It is believed to have originated in England during the 12th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name was likely initially used as a nickname for someone who was considered fortunate or lucky.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Fortune can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mention a Robert Fortune. Another early record is from the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1284, where a William Fortune is mentioned.

The name Fortune is also found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners in England during the reign of King Edward I. This suggests that the name was already well-established by the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname Fortune appears in various records, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a John Fortune is mentioned in 1317. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also include a reference to a Thomas Fortune.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Fortune was Sir John Fortune, a prominent English soldier and landowner who lived during the 15th century. He served as a member of the household of King Henry VI and was granted lands in Buckinghamshire.

Another notable figure with the surname Fortune was Sir Andrew Fortune, a Scottish merchant and diplomat who lived in the 16th century. He was born around 1537 and served as the Scottish Ambassador to France and Denmark.

In the 17th century, the surname Fortune appears in various parish records and court documents across England. One example is George Fortune, a merchant from London who was involved in the Virginia Company, which established the first permanent English settlement in North America at Jamestown in 1607.

During the 18th century, the surname Fortune was found in various parts of the British Isles, including Scotland and Ireland. One notable bearer of the name was Robert Fortune, a Scottish botanist and plant hunter who lived from 1812 to 1880. He is credited with introducing numerous plant species from China to the West, including the tea plant Camellia sinensis.

Another well-known figure with the surname Fortune was Malcolm Fortune, a Scottish author and historian who lived from 1834 to 1900. He wrote extensively on Scottish history and culture, including works such as "The Scots in France" and "The Scots of Gascony".

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fortune

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

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

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

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