2000
#62,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 301
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Fash
A surname derived from a Middle English word meaning "respectable" or "honorable."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 349 Americans carry the last name Fash. That puts it at #69,562 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 982,104 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fash 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
349
1 in 982,104
Census rank
#69,562
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
304
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 304 bearers of the surname Fash in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 69562nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fash, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fash
The surname "FASH" originated in Germany during the Middle Ages, derived from the Old German word "fasch," which means "to bundle" or "to bind." It is believed that the name was initially given as an occupational surname to those who worked as basket weavers or bundlers.
The earliest recorded instances of the name "FASH" can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony. Some of the earliest known bearers of the name include Johannes Fash, a basket weaver from Nuremberg, who was mentioned in a guild record from 1287.
In the 14th century, the name began to spread beyond Germany's borders as people migrated to neighboring countries. Some variations of the spelling, such as "Fasch" and "Faesch," emerged during this time, reflecting regional dialects and language differences.
One notable figure with the surname "FASH" was Hans Fash, a German artist and engraver born in Nuremberg in 1480. His intricate engravings and woodcuts were highly regarded during the Renaissance period, and some of his works can still be found in museums across Europe.
Another historical figure was Johann Fash, a German theologian and scholar who lived from 1548 to 1616. He was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation and authored several influential works on theology and biblical interpretation.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name "FASH" continued to be found in various regions of Germany, as well as in areas with significant German migration, such as parts of Switzerland and Austria. One example is Johann Georg Fash, a German composer and organist born in 1677, who was renowned for his contributions to church music.
In the 19th century, as migration patterns shifted, the name "FASH" began to appear in other parts of Europe and beyond. One notable figure from this period was Wilhelm Fash, a German explorer and naturalist born in 1827, who made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in South America.
Another historical figure with the surname "FASH" was Friedrich Fash, a German philosopher and educator born in 1859. He was a prominent advocate for educational reform and played a significant role in shaping the German educational system in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fash
Among Census respondents with the surname Fash, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Fash 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 Fash surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.2% · 262
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 17
- Two or more races2.6% · 8
- Black or African American2.3% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fash
Fash 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
#77,522
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 247
-54 bearers (-17.9%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 15,286 places
2020
#69,562
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 304
+57 bearers (+23.1%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 7,960 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #62,236 | 301 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #77,522 | 247 | 0.08 | -54 bearers (-17.9%) | Down 15,286 places |
| 2020 | #69,562 | 304 | 0.10 | +57 bearers (+23.1%) | Up 7,960 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 Fash 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 | #77,522 | #69,562 | 10.3% |
| Count | 247 | 304 | 23.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.10 | 27.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fash bearers went from 247 to 304 (+23.1% change). The surname moved up 7,960 positions in the national ranking, going from #77,522 to #69,562.
FAQ
Fash surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fash?
Name Census estimates that about 349 living Americans carry the surname Fash. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 982,104 residents.
How common is Fash?
Fash ranks #69,562 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 304 people with the surname Fash. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (349), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Fash.
Has Fash become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fash went from 247 recorded bearers to 304. That is an increase of 57 (+23.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #77,522 to #69,562.
What does the Census say about the background of Fash?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fash, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Fash in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.2% (262 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fash appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.2%), Hispanic (5.6%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Fash (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 Fash mean?
A surname derived from a Middle English word meaning "respectable" or "honorable." 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 Fash (0.10 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 Americans have the surname Fash?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.