2000
#28,700
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 781
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.29
Very Rare Last name
Fariss
A surname possibly derived from "Paris" or "Parris" indicating a connection to that geographic location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 912 Americans carry the last name Fariss. That puts it at #31,239 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 375,827 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fariss 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
912
1 in 375,827
Census rank
#31,239
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
795
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 795 bearers of the surname Fariss in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 31239th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fariss, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fariss
The surname Fariss is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "feris" or "ferris," meaning "wild" or "untamed." This connection suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a remote or uncultivated area.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, England, from the year 1221. These rolls documented a certain Robert Ferres, indicating the presence of the name in the region during that time. Over the centuries, the spelling of the name evolved, with variations such as Ferris, Farris, and Fariss emerging.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Sir Richard Fariss, a knight who fought alongside King Edward I during the Scottish Wars of Independence. He was recorded as participating in the Battle of Falkirk in 1298, where the English forces defeated the Scottish army led by William Wallace.
During the 16th century, the name appears to have been associated with several locations in England. For instance, the village of Fariss near Stratford-upon-Avon was once known as Ferris, suggesting a possible connection between the surname and the place name.
One of the most prominent individuals bearing the surname was John Fariss, an English playwright and poet who lived from 1585 to 1633. He gained recognition for his works, including the play "The Lusty Broadside," which was performed at the Globe Theatre in London.
In the 18th century, the name found its way to the American colonies, with several individuals bearing the surname settling in various regions. One such figure was William Fariss, born in 1742 in Virginia, who served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War and later became a prominent landowner in the state.
Another notable individual was Sarah Fariss, born in 1765 in Pennsylvania. She was a Quaker minister and abolitionist who actively advocated for the abolition of slavery and worked to educate and emancipate enslaved individuals.
As the centuries passed, the Fariss surname continued to spread across various parts of the world, with individuals from this family making their mark in various fields, including politics, literature, and the arts. Several other notable figures bearing the name include Joseph Fariss (1818-1892), a Canadian politician and businessman, and Robert Fariss (1920-2006), an American artist and painter known for his abstract expressionist works.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fariss
Among Census respondents with the surname Fariss, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Fariss 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 Fariss surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 730
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 31
- Two or more races2.5% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 7
- Black or African American0.5% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fariss
Fariss 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
#30,889
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 753
-28 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.26
Rank movement Down 2,189 places
2020
#31,239
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 795
+42 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Down 350 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #28,700 | 781 | 0.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #30,889 | 753 | 0.26 | -28 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 2,189 places |
| 2020 | #31,239 | 795 | 0.27 | +42 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 350 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 Fariss 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 | #30,889 | #31,239 | -1.1% |
| Count | 753 | 795 | 5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.26 | 0.27 | 2.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fariss bearers went from 753 to 795 (+5.6% change). The surname moved down 350 positions in the national ranking, going from #30,889 to #31,239.
FAQ
Fariss surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fariss?
Name Census estimates that about 912 living Americans carry the surname Fariss. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 375,827 residents.
How common is Fariss?
Fariss ranks #31,239 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.27 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 795 people with the surname Fariss. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (912), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.27 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 Fariss.
Has Fariss become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fariss went from 753 recorded bearers to 795. That is an increase of 42 (+5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #30,889 to #31,239.
What does the Census say about the background of Fariss?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fariss, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Fariss in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (730 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fariss appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Fariss (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 Fariss mean?
A surname possibly derived from "Paris" or "Parris" indicating a connection to that geographic location. 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 Fariss (0.27 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 Fariss?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.