2000
#11,166
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,606
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.97
Rare Last name
Fern
An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a marsh or in a ferny area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,550 Americans carry the last name Fern. That puts it at #13,173 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 134,413 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fern 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 Fern with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 134,413
Census rank
#13,173
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,224 bearers of the surname Fern in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13173rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fern, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fern
The surname Fern originates from England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English word 'fearn', meaning fern plant or bracken. The name likely referred to someone who lived near an area abundant in ferns or bracken, or a homestead distinguished by the presence of these plants.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1199, where it appears as 'Hugo de Ferne'. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also mention 'John de la Ferne' in Oxfordshire. These early records suggest the name was initially spelled with variations such as 'Ferne' and 'de la Ferne', reflecting its locational origin.
The Fern surname is also associated with certain place names in England. For instance, Fernhill in Berkshire and Fernham in Oxfordshire may have contributed to the development of the name. Additionally, the surname may have derived from the Old English word 'fearnig', meaning a fern-covered place or a fertile, well-watered area.
Notable historical figures with the surname Fern include William Fern (c. 1600-1658), an English Puritan clergyman and ejected minister during the English Civil War. Another prominent bearer of the name was Sir John Fern (1572-1645), an English judge and Chief Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of King Charles I.
Other individuals of note include Anne Fern (1564-1626), an English botanist and one of the earliest female writers on plants, and Thomas Fern (1711-1789), an English engraver and painter known for his landscapes and portraits.
The Fern surname also has historical connections beyond England. In Scotland, the name appears as 'Fernie' or 'Fairnie', possibly derived from the Scottish Gaelic word 'rathair', meaning a fern or bracken. The earliest recorded instance of this variation is 'Gilbertus Fernie' in the Ragman Rolls of 1296.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fern
Among Census respondents with the surname Fern, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Fern 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 Fern surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.0% · 1,891
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 157
- Two or more races3.9% · 87
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 61
- Black or African American0.9% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fern
Fern 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
#12,491
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,482
-124 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Down 1,325 places
2020
#13,173
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,224
-258 bearers (-10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 682 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,166 | 2,606 | 0.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,491 | 2,482 | 0.84 | -124 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 1,325 places |
| 2020 | #13,173 | 2,224 | 0.74 | -258 bearers (-10.4%) | Down 682 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 Fern 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 | #12,491 | #13,173 | -5.5% |
| Count | 2,482 | 2,224 | -10.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.84 | 0.74 | -11.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fern bearers went from 2,482 to 2,224 (-10.4% change). The surname moved down 682 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,491 to #13,173.
FAQ
Fern surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fern?
Name Census estimates that about 2,550 living Americans carry the surname Fern. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 134,413 residents.
How common is Fern?
Fern ranks #13,173 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 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 2,224 people with the surname Fern. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,550), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 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 Fern.
Has Fern become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fern went from 2,482 recorded bearers to 2,224. That is a decrease of 258 (-10.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,491 to #13,173.
What does the Census say about the background of Fern?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fern, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Fern in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.0% (1,891 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fern appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.0%), Hispanic (7.1%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Fern (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 Fern mean?
An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a marsh or in a ferny area. 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 Fern (0.74 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 Fern?
See how many people have the surname Fern on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.