2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fouhy
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name Ó Foghaí meaning "descendant of Foghaidh".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Fouhy. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fouhy 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Fouhy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fouhy, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fouhy
The surname Fouhy is believed to have originated in France, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "fouah," which means "hearth" or "fireplace." This connection suggests that the name may have initially been associated with a profession or occupation related to tending fires or maintaining hearths.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fouhy can be traced back to the Normandy region of France in the 11th century. It is possible that the name appeared in documents or records from this era, though specific references are scarce due to the passage of time and the limited documentation from that period.
As the name spread throughout France, it likely underwent various spelling variations, such as Fouhé, Fouhet, and Fouhet. These different spellings could be attributed to regional dialects, linguistic evolutions, or scribal errors in historical documents.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Jean Fouhy is mentioned in chronicles as a prominent landowner and influential figure in the Champagne region of France. Unfortunately, details about his life and achievements are limited, but his name serves as an early recorded example of the surname.
Another individual of significance was Étienne Fouhy, a French scholar and philosopher born in 1632 in Rouen. He gained recognition for his works on metaphysics and contributed to the intellectual discourse of his time.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Fouhy appeared in various parts of France, such as the regions of Normandy, Brittany, and Poitou. It is possible that some families with this surname may have adopted variations or derived their names from place names or locations associated with the word "fouah" or its derivatives.
As the centuries passed, the Fouhy surname continued to be present in various parts of France, with individuals bearing this name contributing to various fields and professions. However, due to the limitations of historical records and the passage of time, specific details about many of these individuals may have been lost or remain obscure.
It is worth noting that while this surname has French origins, it has likely spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange, potentially leading to further variations and adaptations in different linguistic and cultural contexts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fouhy
Among Census respondents with the surname Fouhy, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Fouhy 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 Fouhy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino5.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fouhy
Fouhy 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,605 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+4 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,231 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 6,605 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.7%) | Up 3,231 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 Fouhy 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 | #150,452 | #147,221 | 2.1% |
| Count | 109 | 113 | 3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fouhy bearers went from 109 to 113 (+3.7% change). The surname moved up 3,231 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #147,221.
FAQ
Fouhy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fouhy?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Fouhy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Fouhy?
Fouhy ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Fouhy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Fouhy.
Has Fouhy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fouhy went from 109 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 4 (+3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Fouhy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fouhy, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Fouhy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fouhy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Hispanic (5.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Fouhy (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 Fouhy mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic name Ó Foghaí meaning "descendant of Foghaidh". 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 Fouhy (0.04 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 have the last name Fouhy?
You can see how many people are called Fouhy on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.