2000
#118,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Futcher
An archaic variant of the word "footsore", implying ancestors who traveled frequently or long distances.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Futcher. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Futcher 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 Futcher with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Futcher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Futcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Black (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Futcher
The surname "FUTCHER" is an English locational surname that originated in the county of Somerset, England. It is derived from the Old English words "fot" meaning "foot" and "cærr" meaning "turn" or "bend". The name likely referred to someone who lived near a bend or turn in a river or stream.
The earliest known recorded instance of the surname dates back to the late 13th century, where a William Fotachere is mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Somerset in 1278. The spelling of the name varied over time, with other early forms including Fotacher, Futcher, and Futtcher.
In the 16th century, the surname is found in various parish records across Somerset, such as the baptism of John Futcher in Spaxton in 1544 and the marriage of Richard Futcher and Johane Welles in Taunton in 1588.
One notable early bearer of the name was John Futcher (c. 1565-1633), a wealthy merchant and benefactor from Taunton, Somerset. He funded the construction of the Taunton Grammar School building in 1628 and left substantial bequests to the town in his will.
Another prominent individual was Sir Edward Futcher (1617-1679), an English lawyer and judge who served as the Recorder of Bristol from 1660 to 1679. He played a significant role in the trials following the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685.
In the 18th century, the Futcher family had established itself in various parts of England, including London and Kent. Thomas Futcher (1701-1781), a successful merchant in London, left a substantial estate upon his death.
During the 19th century, the surname spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond, with bearers of the name found in Ireland, Australia, and North America. One notable figure was William Futcher (1815-1892), an English-born Australian businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Melbourne from 1857 to 1858.
While the surname "FUTCHER" is not among the most common surnames in the world, it has a rich history rooted in the county of Somerset, England, and has been borne by notable individuals throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Futcher
Among Census respondents with the surname Futcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Black (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Futcher 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 Futcher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.0% · 100
- Two or more races6.1% · 7
- Black or African American5.2% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Futcher
Futcher 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
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
-4 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,871 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-16 bearers (-12.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,932 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,954 | 135 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 10,871 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.2%) | Down 15,932 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 Futcher 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 | #129,825 | #145,757 | -12.3% |
| Count | 131 | 115 | -12.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Futcher bearers went from 131 to 115 (-12.2% change). The surname moved down 15,932 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #145,757.
FAQ
Futcher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Futcher?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Futcher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Futcher?
Futcher ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Futcher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Futcher.
Has Futcher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Futcher went from 131 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 16 (-12.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Futcher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Futcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Black (5.2%). 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 Futcher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Futcher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.0%), Two or More Races (6.1%), Black (5.2%). 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 Futcher (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 Futcher mean?
An archaic variant of the word "footsore", implying ancestors who traveled frequently or long distances. 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 Futcher (0.04 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 Futcher?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Futcher, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.