2000
#13,175
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Foye
Derived from a place name meaning "beech tree" in French, likely referring to someone who lived near beech trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,363 Americans carry the last name Foye. That puts it at #14,007 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 145,051 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Foye 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 Foye with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 145,051
Census rank
#14,007
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,061 bearers of the surname Foye in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14007th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Foye, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.4%. The next largest groups are Black (38.2%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Foye
The surname Foye is believed to have originated from the French region of Normandy during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "foie," which means "faith" or "belief." The name was likely first adopted by a person with a strong religious conviction or someone known for their devotion to their faith.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Foye can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "Foie," possibly referring to a Norman landowner who settled in England after the Norman Conquest.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as "Foye," "Foy," and "Faye." These variations could be attributed to regional dialects or scribal errors in transcribing the name. The name was predominantly found in regions of England with a strong Norman influence, such as Sussex and Hampshire.
One notable individual with the surname Foye was Sir John Foye, a prominent English soldier and landowner who lived during the 14th century. He fought alongside Edward III in the Hundred Years' War and was granted lands in Wiltshire for his military service.
Another early recorded bearer of the name was William Foye, who was born in Somerset, England, in the late 15th century. He was a successful merchant and served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1514.
In the 16th century, the name Foye was also found in Scotland, where it was likely introduced by Norman settlers. One example is Robert Foye, a prominent Scottish landowner who lived in Aberdeenshire in the mid-1500s.
During the 17th century, the name Foye appeared in various spellings, including "Foy," "Faye," and "Foye," in records from England, Scotland, and Ireland. One notable individual from this period was Sir Edward Foy, an English lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1662 to 1676.
In the 18th century, the surname Foye was also found in France, where it may have originated. One example is Pierre Foye, a French writer and philosopher born in Marseille in 1735, who was known for his works on morality and ethics.
Throughout history, the surname Foye has been associated with various professions and backgrounds, from soldiers and landowners to merchants and scholars. While the name may have originated from the French word for "faith," its bearers have made significant contributions across various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Foye
Among Census respondents with the surname Foye, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.4%. The next largest groups are Black (38.2%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Foye 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 Foye surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.4% · 1,079
- Black or African American38.2% · 787
- Two or more races3.9% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 79
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Foye
Foye 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
#14,127
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,127
+1 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 952 places
2020
#14,007
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,061
-66 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Up 120 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,175 | 2,126 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,127 | 2,127 | 0.72 | +1 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 952 places |
| 2020 | #14,007 | 2,061 | 0.69 | -66 bearers (-3.1%) | Up 120 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 Foye 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 | #14,127 | #14,007 | 0.8% |
| Count | 2,127 | 2,061 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.69 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Foye bearers went from 2,127 to 2,061 (-3.1% change). The surname moved up 120 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,127 to #14,007.
FAQ
Foye surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Foye?
Name Census estimates that about 2,363 living Americans carry the surname Foye. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 145,051 residents.
How common is Foye?
Foye ranks #14,007 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 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 2,061 people with the surname Foye. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,363), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 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 Foye.
Has Foye become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Foye went from 2,127 recorded bearers to 2,061. That is a decrease of 66 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,127 to #14,007.
What does the Census say about the background of Foye?
Among Census respondents with the surname Foye, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.4%. The next largest groups are Black (38.2%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Foye in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.4% (1,079 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Foye appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.4%), Black (38.2%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Foye (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 Foye mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "beech tree" in French, likely referring to someone who lived near beech trees. 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 Foye (0.69 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 people have the last name Foye?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Foye is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.