2000
#2,865
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,518
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.27
Uncommon Last name
Fine
Derived from a nickname for a sophisticated or elegant person, or from the French word "fin" meaning "end."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,982 Americans carry the last name Fine. That puts it at #3,101 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,402 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fine 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 Fine with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,402
Census rank
#3,101
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,321 bearers of the surname Fine in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3101st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fine, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fine
The surname Fine is of English origin, and it is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old French word "fin," which means "fine" or "noble." It was likely given as a nickname to someone who had a refined or distinguished manner.
In medieval times, surnames were often descriptive and based on a person's appearance, occupation, or personal characteristics. The name Fine may have been used to refer to someone who was seen as elegant or of high social status.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Fine can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were a survey of landowners in England. The name appears as "le Fyn," which supports the theory of its French origin.
Another early reference to the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1307, where a person named Richard le Fyne is mentioned. This indicates that the surname was already well-established in England by the early 14th century.
During the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, several notable individuals bore the surname Fine. One example is John Fine (c. 1480 - c. 1540), who was an English translator and scholar known for his translations of works by Erasmus and other humanist writers.
In the 16th century, there was a family of Fine landowners in the county of Northamptonshire, England. The most prominent member of this family was Sir John Fine (1528 - 1589), who served as a Member of Parliament and High Sheriff of Northamptonshire.
Another significant figure with the surname Fine was Sir Christopher Fine (c. 1580 - 1644), who was a prominent English lawyer and politician during the reign of King Charles I. He served as a Member of Parliament and was involved in important legal cases of his time.
In the 17th century, the name Fine was also found in other parts of England, such as Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, where it may have been associated with place names derived from the Old English word "fenn," meaning "marsh" or "fen."
Over the centuries, the surname Fine has been spelled in various ways, including Fyne, Fynn, and Fynne, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common before standardized spelling became widespread.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fine
Among Census respondents with the surname Fine, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Fine 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 Fine surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.7% · 9,926
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 444
- Two or more races3.2% · 365
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.3% · 262
- Black or African American2.0% · 232
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 92
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fine
Fine 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
#3,097
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,618
+100 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 3.94
Rank movement Down 232 places
2020
#3,101
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,321
-297 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 3.79
Rank movement Down 4 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,865 | 11,518 | 4.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,097 | 11,618 | 3.94 | +100 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 232 places |
| 2020 | #3,101 | 11,321 | 3.79 | -297 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 4 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 Fine 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 | #3,097 | #3,101 | -0.1% |
| Count | 11,618 | 11,321 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 3.94 | 3.79 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fine bearers went from 11,618 to 11,321 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 4 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,097 to #3,101.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Fine
FAQ
Fine surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fine?
Name Census estimates that about 12,982 living Americans carry the surname Fine. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,402 residents.
How common is Fine?
Fine ranks #3,101 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,321 people with the surname Fine. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,982), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Fine.
Has Fine become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fine went from 11,618 recorded bearers to 11,321. That is a decrease of 297 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,097 to #3,101.
What does the Census say about the background of Fine?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fine, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Fine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.7% (9,926 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fine appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.7%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Fine (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 Fine mean?
Derived from a nickname for a sophisticated or elegant person, or from the French word "fin" meaning "end." 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 Fine (3.79 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 Fine?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.