Explore the Family Name Fear
The meaning of Fear
English: 1. nickname for a sociable person, from Middle English fe(a)re, feer ‘comrade, companion’ (Old English (ge)fēra). 2. nickname for a proud or haughty person, from Middle English fere, feer ‘proud, bold, strong, fierce’ (Old French f(i)er). 3. nickname perhaps occasionally from Middle English fer(e), feer ‘fear’ (Old English fǣr). 4. (of Norman origin): habitational name perhaps from La Fère in Aisne, France, or a topographic name from Middle English fare, fere (Old English fær) ‘road, passage, ford, ferry’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Fear in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Fear has seen a significant decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 15,530th most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010, it had dropped to 18,502nd, marking a decline of roughly 19.14%. The count of individuals with this surname also lessened from 1,729 in 2000 to 1,493 in 2010, decreasing by approximately 13.65%. The proportion of individuals bearing the Fear surname per 100k residents also dipped by 20.31%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,530 | #18,502 | -19.14% |
| Count | 1,729 | 1,493 | -13.65% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.64 | 0.51 | -20.31% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Fear
When considering ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data suggests that the majority of individuals with the Fear surname identify as White, accounting for 95.14% in 2000 and 94.57% in 2010. However, there was a notable increase in those identifying as Hispanic, growing from 0.64% in 2000 to 2.01% in 2010, an upsurge of over 214%. Other ethnicities reported include Asian/Pacific Islander and Black, with marginal changes of 3.85% and -2.73% respectively, and those identifying as having two or more races saw a decrease of around 40.31%. American Indian and Alaskan Native representation remained relatively stable with a minor decrease of 2.90%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.14% | 94.57% | -0.6% |
| Hispanic | 0.64% | 2.01% | 214.06% |
| Two or More Races | 1.91% | 1.14% | -40.31% |
| Black | 1.1% | 1.07% | -2.73% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.69% | 0.67% | -2.9% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.52% | 0.54% | 3.85% |