2000
#18,196
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,410
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.52
Rare Last name
Faye
A French surname derived from the Old French word meaning "fairy".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,377 Americans carry the last name Faye. That puts it at #13,934 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 144,196 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Faye 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Faye with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 144,196
Census rank
#13,934
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,073 bearers of the surname Faye in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13934th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Faye, the largest self-reported group is Black at 47.8%. The next largest groups are White (44.7%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Faye
The surname Faye originated in France and has its roots in the Old French word "faie", which means a fairy or fay. This word derives from the Latin "fata", meaning a supernatural being or fate. The name is thought to have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone who was considered whimsical, mischievous, or fey.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Faye can be found in the records of the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris, dating back to the 12th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as Faye, Fay, and Fée, reflecting the evolution of the French language over time.
During the Middle Ages, the Faye family was prominent in the region of Poitou, located in western France. Some historical records mention members of the Faye family holding positions of importance, such as Jean de Faye, who served as the Bishop of Luçon in the 15th century.
In the 16th century, the surname Faye gained recognition through the French explorer and navigator Samuel de Champlain, who was born in Brouage, Saintonge, France, in 1567. He is renowned for his explorations in North America and his role in establishing the colony of New France (now part of Canada).
Another notable figure with the surname Faye was the French astronomer Hervé Faye, born in 1814 in Saint-Benoît-du-Sault, Indre, France. He made significant contributions to the study of comets and planetary motions and served as the president of the French Académie des Sciences.
In the 19th century, the French writer and novelist Joseph Faye, born in 1775 in Marseille, gained recognition for his literary works, including the novel "Les Derniers Temps de l'Empire". His writings provided insights into the social and political climate of his time.
The surname Faye has also been present in other parts of Europe, with variations in spelling and pronunciation. For example, the Italian spelling "Faia" and the Spanish "Faya" are believed to have derived from the same root as the French "Faye".
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Faye
Among Census respondents with the surname Faye, the largest self-reported group is Black at 47.8%. The next largest groups are White (44.7%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Faye 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 Faye surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American47.8% · 991
- White44.7% · 927
- Two or more races3.0% · 62
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 56
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Faye
Faye 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
#16,748
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,707
+297 bearers (+21.1%)
Per 100,000 0.58
Rank movement Up 1,448 places
2020
#13,934
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,073
+366 bearers (+21.4%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Up 2,814 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,196 | 1,410 | 0.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,748 | 1,707 | 0.58 | +297 bearers (+21.1%) | Up 1,448 places |
| 2020 | #13,934 | 2,073 | 0.69 | +366 bearers (+21.4%) | Up 2,814 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 Faye 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 | #16,748 | #13,934 | 16.8% |
| Count | 1,707 | 2,073 | 21.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.58 | 0.69 | 19.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Faye bearers went from 1,707 to 2,073 (+21.4% change). The surname moved up 2,814 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,748 to #13,934.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Faye
FAQ
Faye surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Faye?
Name Census estimates that about 2,377 living Americans carry the surname Faye. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 144,196 residents.
How common is Faye?
Faye ranks #13,934 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,073 people with the surname Faye. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,377), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Faye.
Has Faye become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Faye went from 1,707 recorded bearers to 2,073. That is an increase of 366 (+21.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,748 to #13,934.
What does the Census say about the background of Faye?
Among Census respondents with the surname Faye, the largest self-reported group is Black at 47.8%. The next largest groups are White (44.7%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Faye in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.8% (991 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Faye appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (47.8%), White (44.7%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Faye (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 Faye mean?
A French surname derived from the Old French word meaning "fairy". 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 Faye (0.69 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 last name Faye?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Faye on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.