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Fang Family History

Fang Surname Meaning

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 方 meaning ‘square’ in Chinese: (i) from Fang (方) the name of a hill which according to legend was a fief (thought to be in present-day Yuzhou or Songshan in Henan province) granted to Lei (known as Fang Lei Shi 方雷氏) son of the legendary king Yu Wang (traditional dates: 4561–4494 BC). (ii) from the first element of the personal name Fang Shu (方叔) style name of an official during the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC).

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 房 meaning ‘house’ in Chinese: (i) from the placename Fang (房) the name of a fief (located in present-day Suiping in Henan province) granted to Danzhu son of the legendary Emperor Yao (c. 24th century BC). (ii) adopted as a surname by the Wu Yin (屋引) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386–534 AD).

Southeast Asian (Hmong): from the name of the Fang clan of the Hmong people in Laos, China, and Vietnam; in Chinese characters it is written 黃 (see Huang).

German: from Middle High German vanc ‘catch, enclosure’ hence a topographic name for someone who lived by an enclosed plot of land, a hunting ground, a place where traps were set (for game or fish), or a pit; or a byname meaning ‘the catch’ for a foreigner who had been forced into bondage.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Fang family from?

You can see how Fang families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Fang family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1851 and 1920. The most Fang families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 4 Fang families living in Lancashire. This was about 80% of all the recorded Fang's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Fang families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Fang surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Fang ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Waiter and Servant were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Fang. 16% of Fang men worked as a Waiter and 25% of Fang women worked as a Servant. Some less common occupations for Americans named Fang were Operator and Housewife.

View Census Data for Fang | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Waiter
    16%
  • Proprietor
    14%
  • Cook
    11%
  • Operator
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Servant
    25%
  • Housekeeper
    19%
  • Stenographer
    19%
  • Housewife
    13%

What Fang family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Fang. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Fang census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Fang

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Fang. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Fang immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Fang. For the veterans among your Fang ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Fang military records

You've only scratched the surface of Fang family history

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What is the average Fang lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Fang life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1973, and highest in 1978. The average life expectancy for Fang in 1960 was 71, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Fang

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Fang ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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