Explore the Family Name Fa

The meaning of Fa

Chinese: 1. Mandarin form of the surname 法, meaning ‘law’ in Chinese: from the first element of the personal name Fa Zhang (法章), personal name of King Xiang of Qi (ruler of the state of Qi, died 265 BC). Some of his descendants adopted Fa (法) as their surname after the annihilation of the state of Qi. 2. Cantonese form of the surname 花, see Hua 2.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Fa in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Fa has grown in popularity in the United States over the last decade. In 2000, it ranked 80,216 in terms of popularity, but by 2010, it jumped to rank 64,054, representing a significant increase of 20.15%. Furthermore, the count of people carrying the surname also grew from 220 to 311 during the same period, marking an impressive growth rate of 41.36%. As a result, the proportion of the surname per 100,000 people increased by 37.5%, from 0.08 to 0.11.

20002010Change
Rank#80,216#64,05420.15%
Count22031141.36%
Proportion per 100k0.080.1137.5%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Fa

In terms of ethnic identity, there was a notable shift among individuals with the surname Fa between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The Asian/Pacific Islander representation decreased slightly by 5.25%, from 49.55% to 46.95%. There was also a significant decrease in the Black community, falling from 8.64% to 6.43%, a change of -25.58%. Conversely, the White representation increased from 30% to 35.05%, a rise of 16.83%. Meanwhile, the Hispanic representation emerged in the data, starting from 0% in 2000 and reaching 5.79% by 2010. Unfortunately, data for "Two or more races" were suppressed in 2010 for privacy reasons, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native representation remained at 0% for both years.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander49.55%46.95%-5.25%
White30%35.05%16.83%
Black8.64%6.43%-25.58%
Hispanic0%5.79%0%
Two or More Races7.73%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%