2000
#1,128
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,417
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.53
Uncommon Last name
Fink
A German and Jewish surname derived from the Middle High German word "finke," meaning "finch," likely referring to a lively or cheerful person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 30,956 Americans carry the last name Fink. That puts it at #1,276 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,072 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fink 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 Fink with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
31K
1 in 11,072
Census rank
#1,276
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
27K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 26,995 bearers of the surname Fink in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1276th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fink, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fink
The surname Fink has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages, around the 12th century. The name is derived from the German word "finke," which means "finch," a type of small songbird. It is believed that the name was originally a nickname given to someone who had a physical resemblance to the bird or perhaps someone who was known for their fondness for finches.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Fink name can be found in the Codex Traditionum Corbeiensium, a medieval cartulary from the Benedictine abbey of Corvey in Germany, dated around 1199. This document mentions a person named "Volcmarus Finc," indicating the presence of the name in that region during the late 12th century.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Finke" and "Fincke," in different parts of Germany, including Saxony, Thuringia, and Silesia. These regional variations in spelling were common during that time period.
Among the notable individuals who bore the surname Fink throughout history are Wilhelm Fink (1571-1638), a German writer and theologian known for his works on Protestant theology; Friedrich Fink (1718-1766), a German composer and organist who served at the court of Frederick the Great in Prussia; and Eugen Fink (1905-1975), a German philosopher who was a student of Edmund Husserl and contributed significantly to the field of phenomenology.
Another prominent figure with the Fink surname was Hans Fink (1910-1992), a German painter and graphic artist who was part of the Expressionist movement. His works are known for their bold colors and abstract forms, reflecting the turbulent times in which he lived.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Fink name can be traced back to Johann Peter Fink, a German immigrant who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1737. He and his family settled in the area that is now known as Finksburg, Maryland, which was named after them.
Throughout history, the Fink surname has been associated with various professions and disciplines, including art, music, philosophy, and theology. While the name originated as a nickname based on physical characteristics or a fondness for finches, it has evolved to represent a diverse array of individuals and their contributions to society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fink
Among Census respondents with the surname Fink, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Fink 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 Fink surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 25,114
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 757
- Two or more races2.7% · 732
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 197
- Black or African American0.4% · 101
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 94
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fink
Fink 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
#1,232
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,701
+284 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 9.73
Rank movement Down 104 places
2020
#1,276
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,995
-1,706 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 9.03
Rank movement Down 44 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,128 | 28,417 | 10.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,232 | 28,701 | 9.73 | +284 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 104 places |
| 2020 | #1,276 | 26,995 | 9.03 | -1,706 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 44 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 Fink 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 | #1,232 | #1,276 | -3.6% |
| Count | 28,701 | 26,995 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 9.73 | 9.03 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fink bearers went from 28,701 to 26,995 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 44 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,232 to #1,276.
FAQ
Fink surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fink?
Name Census estimates that about 30,956 living Americans carry the surname Fink. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,072 residents.
How common is Fink?
Fink ranks #1,276 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 26,995 people with the surname Fink. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (30,956), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Fink.
Has Fink become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fink went from 28,701 recorded bearers to 26,995. That is a decrease of 1,706 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,232 to #1,276.
What does the Census say about the background of Fink?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fink, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Fink in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (25,114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fink appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Fink (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 Fink mean?
A German and Jewish surname derived from the Middle High German word "finke," meaning "finch," likely referring to a lively or cheerful person. 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 Fink (9.03 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 Fink?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.