2000
#2,335
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,221
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.27
Uncommon Last name
Fournier
An occupational surname for a baker or someone who operated an oven, derived from Old French.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 16,086 Americans carry the last name Fournier. That puts it at #2,505 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 21,308 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fournier 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Fournier with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
16K
1 in 21,308
Census rank
#2,505
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,028 bearers of the surname Fournier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2505th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fournier, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fournier
The surname Fournier has its origins in France, with records dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "fournier," which means "baker" or "one who works with an oven." This occupational surname was likely given to individuals who worked as bakers or were associated with the baking trade.
The Fournier name can be traced back to various regions of France, particularly in the northern and central parts of the country. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval documents and records from the 12th and 13th centuries.
One notable historical reference to the Fournier name is in the Livre des Métiers (Book of Trades), a medieval French document from the 13th century that lists various professions and trades in Paris. The document mentions the "fourniers" as a guild of bakers and oven workers.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage rolls from Scotland, where individuals with the surname Fournier were recorded as having pledged allegiance to the English king.
Throughout history, several individuals with the surname Fournier have achieved notable status. One of the earliest recorded examples is Raoul Fournier (c. 1240-1310), a French theologian and canonist who served as the Bishop of Mende and later as a cardinal.
Another notable figure is Claude Fournier (1594-1676), a French scholar and jurist who authored several important works on ecclesiastical law and history. He is considered one of the most influential canonists of the 17th century.
In the realm of art, Étienne Fournier (1683-1748) was a French engraver and artist known for his intricate etchings and illustrations.
Moving into the 19th century, Édouard Fournier (1819-1880) was a French writer and journalist who wrote extensively on the history and culture of Paris.
Additionally, Alban Fournier (1886-1914) was a French novelist best known for his semi-autobiographical novel "Le Grand Meaulnes," which is considered a classic of French literature.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the Fournier surname who left their mark in various fields throughout history, showcasing the rich heritage and legacy associated with this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fournier
Among Census respondents with the surname Fournier, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Fournier 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 Fournier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 12,427
- Hispanic or Latino6.1% · 849
- Two or more races3.2% · 453
- Black or African American1.0% · 134
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 107
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 58
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fournier
Fournier 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
#2,505
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,449
+228 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 4.90
Rank movement Down 170 places
2020
#2,505
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,028
-421 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 4.69
Rank movement No rank change
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,335 | 14,221 | 5.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,505 | 14,449 | 4.90 | +228 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 170 places |
| 2020 | #2,505 | 14,028 | 4.69 | -421 bearers (-2.9%) | No rank change |
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 Fournier 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 | #2,505 | #2,505 | 0.0% |
| Count | 14,449 | 14,028 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 4.90 | 4.69 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fournier bearers went from 14,449 to 14,028 (-2.9% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, remaining at #2,505.
FAQ
Fournier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fournier?
Name Census estimates that about 16,086 living Americans carry the surname Fournier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 21,308 residents.
How common is Fournier?
Fournier ranks #2,505 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,028 people with the surname Fournier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (16,086), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Fournier.
Has Fournier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fournier went from 14,449 recorded bearers to 14,028. That is a decrease of 421 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it stayed at #2,505.
What does the Census say about the background of Fournier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fournier, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) 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 Fournier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (12,427 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fournier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Hispanic (6.1%), 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 Fournier (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 Fournier mean?
An occupational surname for a baker or someone who operated an oven, derived from Old French. 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 Fournier (4.69 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 Americans have the surname Fournier?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.