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

Foster, 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 Foster surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Foster in America

Foster is the 99th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Foster surname appeared 227,764 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 77 people would have the surname Foster.

We can also compare 2010 data for Foster 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 Foster

The surname Foster originated in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "foster," meaning "to nourish, supply with food, or raise up a child." The name was initially given to a foster parent or someone who cared for children whose parents were deceased or unable to care for them.

During the medieval period, the Foster surname was found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Northumberland. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name is in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1166, which list a Robert le Foster.

The Foster name also appears in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror. The book mentions several individuals with the surname, such as Robert Foster and William Foster, indicating the name's early presence in England.

In the 13th century, the surname Foster was associated with several notable individuals. One of them was Sir Reginald le Foster, who served as the Sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in 1281. Another was John Foster, a prominent merchant and landowner in Yorkshire, who lived during the same period.

The Foster surname has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Foston in Derbyshire and Foston in Leicestershire. These place names likely derived from the Old English words "fos" meaning "fosse" or ditch, and "tun" meaning a farm or settlement.

Throughout history, several famous individuals have borne the Foster surname. One notable example is Stephen Foster (1826-1864), an American songwriter known as the "Father of American Music." He composed numerous popular songs, including "Oh! Susanna," "Camptown Races," and "Beautiful Dreamer."

Another well-known bearer of the Foster surname was Sir Norman Foster (born 1935), a renowned British architect who designed iconic structures like the Millau Viaduct in France and the Gherkin in London.

Other noteworthy individuals with the Foster surname include Jodie Foster (born 1962), an American actress and director; Phoebe Foster (1854-1935), an American philanthropist and social reformer; and Sir Vere Foster (1819-1900), a British civil engineer and designer of the first modern flush toilet.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Foster

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

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

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

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