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

Funston, 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 Funston surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Funston in America

Funston is the 28049th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Funston surname appeared 854 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Funston.

We can also compare 2010 data for Funston 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 Funston

The surname Funston is of English origin, and it is believed to have originated in the village of Funnington, located in the county of Kent, England. The name is derived from the Old English words "funn," meaning "fun" or "joy," and "tun," meaning "farm" or "settlement." Thus, the name Funston likely referred to someone who lived in or near the joyful or pleasant settlement of Funnington.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Funston dates back to the late 12th century, when a Walter de Funninton was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195. This suggests that the name had already been established by that time and may have been in use even earlier.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Funningtun and Funnington, reflecting the evolution of spelling and pronunciation over time. During this period, the name was primarily concentrated in the southeastern regions of England, particularly in Kent and Sussex.

One notable historical figure bearing the name Funston was Sir Robert Funston, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a prominent English merchant and a member of the Company of Merchant Adventurers, which played a crucial role in the development of international trade during that era.

Another significant figure was John Funston, born in 1642 in Derbyshire, England. He emigrated to the American colonies in the late 17th century and settled in Pennsylvania, where he became a respected landowner and community leader.

In the 19th century, Frederick Funston, born in 1865 in Ohio, United States, gained recognition as a distinguished military officer and explorer. He played a key role in the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War, and later served as a Brigadier General in the U.S. Army.

William Funston, born in 1847 in Scotland, was a prominent architect who designed several notable buildings in Glasgow and Edinburgh during the late Victorian era. His works included churches, schools, and residential properties, showcasing his skill in various architectural styles.

The Funston name has also been associated with several place names, such as Funston Hall in Derbyshire, England, and Funston, a small town in Kansas, United States, named after General Frederick Funston in recognition of his military service.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Funston

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

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

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

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