Explore the Family Name Fothergill
The meaning of Fothergill
English: possibly a habitational name from an altered form of the placename Faggergill in Arkengarthdale, North Yorkshire. This is recorded in 1280 as Fagardegile (‘sheep enclosure ravine’?), and was presumably the home of Robert de Fagardgill, recorded in 1327. Arkengarthdale, in Upper Swaledale, is not far from Kirkby Stephen, just over the county border in Westmorland, where the earliest example of Fothergill (spelled Fothergall) is found in 1379. The long-standing social network that existed between Upper Swaledale and Kirkby Stephen families is illustrated by the marriage in 1663 in Grinton parish church of “William Harrison and Alice Fothergill of Mallerstang in the parish of Kirby Stephen”. If this is the correct origin, obscure Fagard- has been replaced by Middle English fother, futher ‘cart-load, measure of weight used in selling lead’; Upper Swaledale and Arkengarthdale were areas of sheep farming and lead mining during the high Middle Ages and subsequent centuries. However, there is no evidence that the placename was ever referred to as Fothergill.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Fothergill in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Fothergill has seen a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 28,142nd most common surname, but by 2010 it had slipped to the 29,661st position, representing a drop of 5.4%. The number of people bearing the Fothergill name also decreased slightly, from 801 in 2000 to 794 in 2010, a minor reduction of 0.87%. The proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 also experienced a decline of 10% over this decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #28,142 | #29,661 | -5.4% |
| Count | 801 | 794 | -0.87% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.3 | 0.27 | -10% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Fothergill
Turning to ethnicity based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the majority of individuals with the Fothergill surname identified as White, although this percentage decreased from 89.89% in 2000 to 88.16% in 2010. The next largest group identified as Black, growing from 6.37% in 2000 to 7.18% in 2010. Those identifying as Hispanic also saw an increase, rising from 1.25% to 1.76%, while those identifying with two or more races increased from 1.62% to 2.14%. No Fothergills identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native during these census years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 89.89% | 88.16% | -1.92% |
| Black | 6.37% | 7.18% | 12.72% |
| Two or More Races | 1.62% | 2.14% | 32.1% |
| Hispanic | 1.25% | 1.76% | 40.8% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |