2000
#4,242
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,728
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.86
Rare Last name
Faison
French topographic surname denoting someone living near an enclosure or beside a boundary.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,876 Americans carry the last name Faison. That puts it at #4,444 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,616 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Faison 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
8.9K
1 in 38,616
Census rank
#4,444
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,740 bearers of the surname Faison in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4444th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Faison, the largest self-reported group is Black at 72.8%. The next largest groups are White (18.3%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Faison
The surname Faison is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "faiseau," which means a bundle or sheaf of wheat. This name likely originated in the northern regions of France during the medieval period, possibly as an occupational name for a farmer or someone involved in the agricultural trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Faison surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England conducted in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Faisun," indicating that individuals bearing this surname had already established a presence in England by the late 11th century.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the Faison surname underwent various spelling variations, including Fayson, Faysoun, and Fayshun, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spelling during that era. These variations often corresponded to regional dialects and the preferences of local scribes.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named William Faisun was recorded as a landowner in the county of Lincolnshire, England. This suggests that by this time, the Faison surname had gained a degree of prominence and social standing.
Another prominent individual bearing this surname was Sir John Faison, a English knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century. His valor and loyalty to the crown earned him recognition and land grants.
During the Renaissance period, the Faison surname continued to spread across Europe, with records indicating families of this name residing in regions such as Normandy, Brittany, and the Low Countries.
In the 17th century, a merchant named Thomas Faison established a successful trading company in the city of Bristol, England, contributing to the economic prosperity of the region and further solidifying the Faison name in British history.
Another noteworthy individual was the French philosopher and writer, Jacques Faison, who lived from 1687 to 1761 and was renowned for his influential works on ethics and the human condition.
As the Faison surname spread across various regions, it also became associated with certain place names, such as the village of Faison in North Carolina, United States, which was named after a prominent local family bearing this surname.
While the Faison surname has undergone various transformations throughout history, its origins can be traced back to the agricultural roots of medieval France, reflecting the diverse cultural and occupational backgrounds that have contributed to the rich tapestry of surnames globally.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Faison
Among Census respondents with the surname Faison, the largest self-reported group is Black at 72.8%. The next largest groups are White (18.3%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Faison 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 Faison surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American72.8% · 5,635
- White18.3% · 1,417
- Two or more races5.1% · 396
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 250
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Faison
Faison 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
#4,267
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,320
+592 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 2.82
Rank movement Down 25 places
2020
#4,444
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,740
-580 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 2.59
Rank movement Down 177 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,242 | 7,728 | 2.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,267 | 8,320 | 2.82 | +592 bearers (+7.7%) | Down 25 places |
| 2020 | #4,444 | 7,740 | 2.59 | -580 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 177 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 Faison 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 | #4,267 | #4,444 | -4.1% |
| Count | 8,320 | 7,740 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.82 | 2.59 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Faison bearers went from 8,320 to 7,740 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 177 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,267 to #4,444.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Faison
FAQ
Faison surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Faison?
Name Census estimates that about 8,876 living Americans carry the surname Faison. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,616 residents.
How common is Faison?
Faison ranks #4,444 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,740 people with the surname Faison. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,876), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Faison.
Has Faison become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Faison went from 8,320 recorded bearers to 7,740. That is a decrease of 580 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,267 to #4,444.
What does the Census say about the background of Faison?
Among Census respondents with the surname Faison, the largest self-reported group is Black at 72.8%. The next largest groups are White (18.3%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Faison in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.8% (5,635 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Faison appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (72.8%), White (18.3%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Faison (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 Faison mean?
French topographic surname denoting someone living near an enclosure or beside a boundary. 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 Faison (2.59 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 Faison?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.