2000
#2,063
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,093
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.97
Uncommon Last name
Foote
An English occupational surname for a messenger or foot soldier.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,006 Americans carry the last name Foote. That puts it at #2,254 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 19,036 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Foote 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 Foote with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
18K
1 in 19,036
Census rank
#2,254
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,702 bearers of the surname Foote in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2254th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Foote, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (11.6%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Foote
The surname Foote has its origins in medieval England, tracing back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "fot," meaning "foot," and was likely originally an occupational name referring to a runner or messenger. The name also has ties to the French word "pied," which has a similar meaning.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Foote surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Suffolk, England, from the year 1182, where it appears as "Fote." The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also mention a John Fote in Cambridgeshire. These early records suggest that the name was particularly prevalent in the eastern and central regions of England during the Middle Ages.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and populations undertaken in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, does not contain any direct references to the Foote surname. However, it does mention several place names that may have contributed to the name's development, such as Fotherby in Lincolnshire and Fotheringham in Yorkshire.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the Foote surname was Sir Robert Foote, a prominent English knight who fought in the Battle of Crécy during the Hundred Years' War in 1346. Another notable figure was Samuel Foote (1720-1777), an English actor, playwright, and comedian who is remembered for his satirical works and contributions to the development of English theater.
In the 16th century, the Foote family established a significant presence in Cornwall, with several members holding influential positions in local government and the clergy. Reverend John Foote (1515-1594) was a prominent clergyman and served as the Archdeacon of Worcester during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
During the 17th century, the Foote surname gained recognition in the American colonies. Nathaniel Foote (1615-1655) was among the founders of Wethersfield, Connecticut, and his descendants played significant roles in the early history of New England. Another notable figure was Samuel Augustus Foote (1780-1846), an American naval officer who served during the War of 1812 and later became a prominent diplomat.
The 19th century saw the rise of several individuals with the Foote surname in various fields. Mary Hallock Foote (1847-1938) was an accomplished American author and illustrator, known for her depictions of life in the American West. Arthur Foote (1853-1937) was a renowned American composer and musician, recognized for his contributions to the development of American classical music.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Foote
Among Census respondents with the surname Foote, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (11.6%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Foote 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 Foote surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.2% · 12,283
- Black or African American11.6% · 1,814
- Two or more races4.0% · 632
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 581
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 283
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 109
Timeline
Historical Census data for Foote
Foote 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
#2,219
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,425
+332 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 5.57
Rank movement Down 156 places
2020
#2,254
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,702
-723 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 5.25
Rank movement Down 35 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,063 | 16,093 | 5.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,219 | 16,425 | 5.57 | +332 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 156 places |
| 2020 | #2,254 | 15,702 | 5.25 | -723 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 35 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 Foote 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 | #2,219 | #2,254 | -1.6% |
| Count | 16,425 | 15,702 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 5.57 | 5.25 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Foote bearers went from 16,425 to 15,702 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 35 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,219 to #2,254.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Foote
FAQ
Foote surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Foote?
Name Census estimates that about 18,006 living Americans carry the surname Foote. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 19,036 residents.
How common is Foote?
Foote ranks #2,254 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.25 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 15,702 people with the surname Foote. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,006), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.25 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Foote.
Has Foote become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Foote went from 16,425 recorded bearers to 15,702. That is a decrease of 723 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,219 to #2,254.
What does the Census say about the background of Foote?
Among Census respondents with the surname Foote, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (11.6%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Foote in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.2% (12,283 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Foote appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.2%), Black (11.6%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Foote (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 Foote mean?
An English occupational surname for a messenger or foot soldier. 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 Foote (5.25 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 common is the surname Foote?
Find out how many people have the last name Foote on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.