Explore the Family Name Filson
The meaning of Filson
1. English: patronymic from Fill + -son ‘son of Fill’. 2. Irish: from Mac Philib, a patronymic from the Greek personal name Philippos, Gaelicized as Pilib or Filib and has been in use in Ireland since the early Christian period. Bearers of the Norman patronymic Fitz Philip were also Gaelicized as Mac Philib.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Filson in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Filson has seen a slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 19,196 in terms of popularity, but by 2010 it had dropped slightly to 19,567, signifying a change of -1.93 percent. However, the number of people with this surname increased over these years from 1,308 to 1,379, which is a 5.43 percent increase. The proportion of people with the surname Filson per 100k also decreased by -2.08 percent between 2000 and 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #19,196 | #19,567 | -1.93% |
| Count | 1,308 | 1,379 | 5.43% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.48 | 0.47 | -2.08% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Filson
The Decennial U.S. Census also provides information about the ethnicity of people with the surname Filson. In 2000, the majority (94.57 percent) identified as White, decreasing to 90.07 percent in 2010. There were also small percentages who identified as Black (2.52 percent in 2000 and 3.92 percent in 2010) and Hispanic (0.99 percent in 2000 and 2.39 percent in 2010). Interestingly, there was a significant increase in the percentage of people identifying as having two or more races, from 1.15 percent in 2000 to 1.96 percent in 2010. There were also people who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native in 2010, where previously in 2000 there were no records of these ethnic identities among people with the surname Filson.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.57% | 90.07% | -4.76% |
| Black | 2.52% | 3.92% | 55.56% |
| Hispanic | 0.99% | 2.39% | 141.41% |
| Two or More Races | 1.15% | 1.96% | 70.43% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.94% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.73% | 0% |