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

Phinisee, 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 Phinisee surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Phinisee in America

Phinisee is the 79075th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Phinisee surname appeared 241 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 Phinisee.

We can also compare 2010 data for Phinisee 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 Phinisee

The surname Phinisee is believed to have originated in England, likely during the late medieval period around the 14th or 15th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "fenn" meaning a marsh or fen, and "isse" which was a common suffix used to form surnames from place names. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked in a marshy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Phinisee can be found in the Hertfordshire Parish Records from the year 1591, where a person named John Phinisee is mentioned. It is also possible that the name has connections to the village of Fenwick in Northumberland, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Fenewic" or "Fenewyk," meaning the farm or settlement near a fen.

In the 17th century, a notable figure named Richard Phinisee (born around 1620) was a landowner and merchant in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. He was known for his involvement in local affairs and served as a churchwarden for several years.

Another individual of note was Sir William Phinisee (1698-1782), a member of the British gentry who held significant landholdings in the county of Essex. He was a Justice of the Peace and served as a Member of Parliament for Maldon from 1734 to 1741.

During the 18th century, a man named Thomas Phinisee (1745-1821) made his mark as a renowned clockmaker and watchmaker in the city of London. His timepieces were highly sought after by the aristocracy and his work can be found in several prominent museums.

In the 19th century, the name gained recognition through the literary works of Mary Phinisee (1817-1885), a celebrated novelist and poet from the county of Yorkshire. Her novels, which often explored themes of love and social commentary, were popular during her lifetime and continue to be studied by scholars today.

While the surname Phinisee may not be as widespread as some others, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and can be traced back to its origins in England's marshlands and rural communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Phinisee

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

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

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

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