2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Phenneger
A surname possibly related to the word "feneger" meaning servant or domestic worker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Phenneger. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Phenneger 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.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Phenneger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Phenneger, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Phenneger
The surname Phenneger originated in the North West region of England, specifically in the county of Lancashire, during the late medieval period around the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "fen" meaning marsh or boggy land, and "eger" meaning a dweller or inhabitant, suggesting that the name was likely given to someone who resided near or worked on a marshy area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Lancashire Inquests and Extents from 1310, where a certain Richard de Fennegher is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Eccleston. The name also appears in the Lancashire Feet of Fines from 1346, which documents legal transactions involving land ownership, mentioning a Roger Phenegher from the town of Leyland.
In the 15th century, the surname Phenneger appeared in various forms, such as Fennegher, Pheneger, and Phenegher, reflecting the lack of standardized spelling during that era. One notable individual from this period was John Phenneger, a merchant from Preston who was granted a license to export wool in 1472.
The Phenneger surname continued to be prominent in Lancashire throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, with several members of the family holding positions of authority or making notable contributions. For instance, Thomas Phenneger served as the Mayor of Preston in 1583, while William Phenneger was a respected landowner and philanthropist who donated funds for the construction of a local school in the early 1600s.
Moving into the 18th century, the surname had evolved into its more modern spelling of Phenneger, and members of the family could be found across various parts of Lancashire and neighboring counties. One notable figure from this era was Robert Phenneger (1712-1791), a successful merchant and landowner in the town of Blackburn, who was known for his involvement in local politics and charitable endeavors.
Another prominent individual bearing this surname was Elizabeth Phenneger (1745-1823), a renowned writer and poet from Preston, whose works were widely published and celebrated during her lifetime. Her collection of poems, titled "Musings of a Lancashire Lass," offered insights into the daily lives and experiences of rural communities in the region.
Throughout the 19th century, the Phenneger surname remained firmly rooted in the North West of England, with members of the family continuing to make contributions in various fields, such as business, education, and public service. One notable figure was John Phenneger (1824-1901), a successful industrialist and philanthropist from Manchester, who established several charitable foundations and endowed scholarships for underprivileged students.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Phenneger
Among Census respondents with the surname Phenneger, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Phenneger 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 Phenneger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.7% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino8.4% · 10
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.2% · 5
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Phenneger
Phenneger appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+10 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,664 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 7,664 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 Phenneger 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 | #150,452 | #142,788 | 5.1% |
| Count | 109 | 119 | 9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Phenneger bearers went from 109 to 119 (+9.2% change). The surname moved up 7,664 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #142,788.
FAQ
Phenneger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Phenneger?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Phenneger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Phenneger?
Phenneger ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Phenneger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Phenneger.
Has Phenneger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Phenneger went from 109 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 10 (+9.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Phenneger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Phenneger, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Phenneger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.7% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Phenneger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.7%), Hispanic (8.4%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Phenneger (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 Phenneger mean?
A surname possibly related to the word "feneger" meaning servant or domestic worker. 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 Phenneger (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 have the surname Phenneger?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.