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

Phanor, 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 Phanor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Phanor in America

Phanor is the 49461st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Phanor surname appeared 425 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 Phanor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Phanor 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 Phanor

The surname Phanor has its origins in Greece, dating back to the Byzantine era. It is derived from the Greek word "phanos," which means "light" or "lamp." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals involved in the production or use of lamps or candles, potentially as tradesmen or artisans.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Phanor can be found in a Byzantine manuscript from the 10th century, which references a nobleman named Phanor Palaiologos. This indicates that the name was already in use among the aristocratic circles of the Byzantine Empire at that time.

During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various forms and spellings, such as Phanoros, Phanouri, and Phanorios, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and transcription across different regions and languages.

In the 14th century, a prominent Greek scholar and theologian named Phanor Trapezuntios (c. 1330-1390) gained recognition for his contributions to the study of Aristotelian philosophy and his involvement in the Council of Ferrara-Florence, a pivotal event in the attempted reunification of the Eastern and Western Christian churches.

Another notable figure bearing the surname Phanor was Phanor Edelstein (1859-1942), a Russian-born American artist and illustrator known for his paintings and illustrations depicting scenes from everyday life and Jewish culture in Eastern Europe.

In the late 19th century, a Greek businessman and philanthropist named Phanor Kyriakidis (1850-1925) made significant contributions to the development of education and infrastructure in his hometown of Smyrna (modern-day Izmir, Turkey), funding the construction of schools and public buildings.

During the 20th century, the name Phanor appeared in various literary works and historical accounts, such as the novel "Phanor's Odyssey" by Demetrios Capetanakis, which chronicled the experiences of a Greek family during the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in the 1920s.

It is worth noting that while the surname Phanor has Greek origins, it has also been adopted and used by individuals of various ethnic backgrounds and nationalities over the centuries, reflecting the cultural exchanges and migrations that have shaped modern societies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Phanor

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

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

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

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