2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fozzard
A surname derived from the medieval word "foss" meaning "ditch" or "trench".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Fozzard. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fozzard 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 Fozzard with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Fozzard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fozzard, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fozzard
The surname Fozzard is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the county of Yorkshire, where it was likely derived from a topographic name referring to someone who lived near a foss, an old English word meaning a ditch or small stream.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where it appears as "Fossard." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational name, referring to someone who worked or lived near a ditch or waterway.
As time passed, the name evolved through various spelling variations, including Fossard, Fozzard, and Fozard. These variations were common in the era before standardized spellings became widespread, with names often being recorded phonetically by scribes.
In the late 16th century, records show the presence of a family with the surname Fozzard in the village of Adwick-le-Street, near Doncaster, Yorkshire. One notable member of this family was William Fozzard, who was born in 1592 and served as a local landowner and magistrate.
Another early reference to the name can be found in the Parish Records of Rotherham, Yorkshire, where a John Fozzard was recorded as having been born in 1618. This further solidifies the name's connection to the Yorkshire region.
Throughout the centuries, the Fozzard surname has been borne by several notable individuals. One such person was Richard Fozzard (1721-1793), a prominent English clergyman who served as the Rector of Wigan Parish Church in Lancashire for over 40 years.
In the 19th century, James Fozzard (1832-1901) made his mark as a successful businessman and industrialist in the city of Manchester. He established the Fozzard Textile Company, which became a leading manufacturer of cotton goods during the Industrial Revolution.
Another individual of note was Sarah Fozzard (1876-1957), a British suffragette and activist who fought for women's rights and played a key role in the campaign for universal suffrage in the early 20th century.
While the name Fozzard may not be as common today as it once was in Yorkshire and the surrounding areas, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of English surnames, with its origins deeply rooted in the history and geography of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fozzard
Among Census respondents with the surname Fozzard, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Fozzard 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 Fozzard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.0% · 89
- Two or more races8.5% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.8% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fozzard
Fozzard 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-18 bearers (-15.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 27,989 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,093 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -18 bearers (-15.0%) | Down 27,989 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Up 6,093 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 Fozzard 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 | #158,432 | #152,339 | 3.8% |
| Count | 102 | 106 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fozzard bearers went from 102 to 106 (+3.9% change). The surname moved up 6,093 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #152,339.
FAQ
Fozzard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fozzard?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Fozzard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Fozzard?
Fozzard ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Fozzard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Fozzard.
Has Fozzard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fozzard went from 102 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 4 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Fozzard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fozzard, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.8%). 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 Fozzard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.0% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fozzard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.0%), Two or More Races (8.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.8%). 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 Fozzard (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 Fozzard mean?
A surname derived from the medieval word "foss" meaning "ditch" or "trench". 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 Fozzard (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 share the surname Fozzard?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.