2000
#794
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 39,501
First available Census row
Per 100,000 14.64
Uncommon Last name
Fitzpatrick
Descendant of Patrick, an Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Giolla Phádraig" meaning "son of the devotee of Patrick."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 44,999 Americans carry the last name Fitzpatrick. That puts it at #867 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 13.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fitzpatrick 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 Fitzpatrick with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
45K
1 in 7,617
Census rank
#867
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
13.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
39K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 39,241 bearers of the surname Fitzpatrick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 13.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 867th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fitzpatrick, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fitzpatrick
The surname FITZPATRICK is of Irish origin, deriving from the old Gaelic name "Mac Giolla Phadraig," which means "son of the devotee of Patrick." It emerged as a prominent name in the 12th century, during the Norman invasion of Ireland.
The name's earliest recorded appearance dates back to the 13th century, when it was documented in the Annals of Loch Cé, an ancient Irish chronicle. It was initially concentrated in the counties of Laois and Offaly, where the FITZPATRICK clan held significant influence and land holdings.
One of the earliest notable figures bearing this surname was John FITZPATRICK, a 14th-century lord of Upper Ossory, who played a crucial role in the conflicts between the Anglo-Norman and Gaelic Irish factions. Another prominent individual was Sir Barnaby FITZPATRICK, a 16th-century soldier and statesman who served as Lord Lieutenant of Queen's County (now County Laois).
The FITZPATRICK name also appeared in historical records such as the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, which documented royal decrees and appointments during the 16th century. Several members of the FITZPATRICK clan held influential positions, including John FITZPATRICK, who served as Chief Governor of Munster in the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the FITZPATRICK family faced significant challenges during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, with many members losing their lands and being transplanted to the Province of Connacht. However, the family's resilience allowed them to regain their prominence in subsequent years.
One of the most renowned figures with this surname was Sir Jeremiah FITZPATRICK (1740-1810), an Irish-born officer in the British Army who played a crucial role in the American Revolutionary War and later served as the Governor of Prince Edward Island.
Other notable individuals bearing the FITZPATRICK surname include Benjamin FITZPATRICK (1802-1869), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 16th Governor of Alabama, and Sir Charles FITZPATRICK (1853-1942), a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the Chief Justice of Canada from 1918 to 1919.
The FITZPATRICK name has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Castletown FITZPATRICK and Galmoy FITZPATRICK, reflecting the family's historical influence and land holdings in these areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fitzpatrick
Among Census respondents with the surname Fitzpatrick, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Fitzpatrick 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 Fitzpatrick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.5% · 32,373
- Black or African American9.4% · 3,686
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 1,375
- Two or more races3.4% · 1,317
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 312
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 178
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick 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
#852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 40,449
+948 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 13.71
Rank movement Down 58 places
2020
#867
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 39,241
-1,208 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 13.13
Rank movement Down 15 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #794 | 39,501 | 14.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #852 | 40,449 | 13.71 | +948 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 58 places |
| 2020 | #867 | 39,241 | 13.13 | -1,208 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 15 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 Fitzpatrick 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 | #852 | #867 | -1.8% |
| Count | 40,449 | 39,241 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 13.71 | 13.13 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fitzpatrick bearers went from 40,449 to 39,241 (-3.0% change). The surname moved down 15 positions in the national ranking, going from #852 to #867.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Fitzpatrick
FAQ
Fitzpatrick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fitzpatrick?
Name Census estimates that about 44,999 living Americans carry the surname Fitzpatrick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,617 residents.
How common is Fitzpatrick?
Fitzpatrick ranks #867 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 13.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 13 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 39,241 people with the surname Fitzpatrick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (44,999), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 13.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 13.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 13 of them to have the surname Fitzpatrick.
Has Fitzpatrick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fitzpatrick went from 40,449 recorded bearers to 39,241. That is a decrease of 1,208 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #852 to #867.
What does the Census say about the background of Fitzpatrick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fitzpatrick, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Fitzpatrick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.5% (32,373 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fitzpatrick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.5%), Black (9.4%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Fitzpatrick (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 Fitzpatrick mean?
Descendant of Patrick, an Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Giolla Phádraig" meaning "son of the devotee of Patrick." 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 Fitzpatrick (13.13 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 are called Fitzpatrick?
Find out how many people have the last name Fitzpatrick on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.