Explore the Family Name Fly
The meaning of Fly
1. English: variant of Flay, either a nickname from Middle English fle(gh), flei(gh), flie ‘flea’ (Old English flēah), or a nickname from Middle English fli(gh)e, flei(e), fleh(e) ‘fly, winged insect’ (Old English flēoge). 2. Danish: topographic name from an unattested word meaning ‘puddle, pond’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Fly in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Fly" saw a slight decrease from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it ranked 12,611 in terms of commonality, but by 2010, it had dropped to 14,042, marking an 11.35% change. The total count of individuals bearing this last name dipped by 4.75% over the decade, from 2,252 in 2000 to 2,145 in 2010. Finally, the proportion of people with the surname "Fly" per 100k individuals fell by 12.05%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,611 | #14,042 | -11.35% |
| Count | 2,252 | 2,145 | -4.75% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.83 | 0.73 | -12.05% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Fly
Regarding ethnicity, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, most individuals with the surname "Fly" identified as White, with a slight increase from 81.93% in 2000 to 82.28% in 2010. The next largest group identified as Black, though this percentage decreased from 12.66% to 11.84%. Notably, American Indian and Alaskan Native representation saw a significant increase of 68.63%, albeit from a lower base of 1.02% to 1.72%. Conversely, the percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those with two or more races both saw decreases. Hispanic representation saw a minor growth of 4.95%, increasing from 2.22% in 2000 to 2.33% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 81.93% | 82.28% | 0.43% |
| Black | 12.66% | 11.84% | -6.48% |
| Hispanic | 2.22% | 2.33% | 4.95% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.02% | 1.72% | 68.63% |
| Two or More Races | 1.47% | 1.31% | -10.88% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.71% | 0.51% | -28.17% |