The Fast surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,929 people carried this name — #6,838 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 59,900 people counted. That is up 7% from 4,621 in 2000.

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In Argentina’s national register

At least 37 people named Fast live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 25
La Pampa 12

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In the Nordic population registers

1,547 people named Fast are counted in Sweden and Finland.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 1,364
Finland (2026) 183

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In print

Fast in American newspapers,
1884–1920.

Newspaper page from The Mineral Argus carrying the name Fast
The Mineral Argus 1884-11-20
Newspaper page from Canton Register carrying the name Fast
Canton Register 1884-12-18
Newspaper page from The Wolf Point Herald carrying the name Fast
The Wolf Point Herald 1920-07-15

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 1,284 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Fast in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

5,904 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Fast. The most, 1,185, date from the 1940s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Northern Territory, at 1.8 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 2,319
Queensland 1,205
Victoria 1,074
South Australia 509
Western Australia 433
Tasmania 242
ACT (Canberra) 88
Northern Territory 22

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Fast.

Who carried it

People named Fast,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Ernst Fast
    Ernst Fast 1881–1959 · long-distance runner
  • Johan Gustaf Fast 1718–1781 · sculptor
  • Patricius Fast 1726–1790 · pastor
  • Nicklaus Fast 1727–1818
  • Christian Fast 1762–1841
  • Carl Joseph Fast 1822–1850 · missionary

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Fast,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States649 records

649 records of the Fast name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 264
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 139
  • Other U.S. records 246
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Louis R. Fast

    Born 1918 in Missouri. Enlisted 1943 at Camp Dodge Herrold, Iowa; farm hand from Barton County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1999, buried at Barton City Cemetery, Liberal, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Leib Fast

    Arrived at New York in 1890 aboard the Bohemia from Hamburg and Havre, aged 27; laborer. From Wloclawek, Russia; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Roger Theodore Fast

    Born 1948; from Butterfield, Minnesota. U.S. Army, heavy anti-armor weapons infantryman; killed in action 1968 in Thua Thien, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 649 records for Fast in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Netherlands103 records

103 records of the Fast name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 67
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 34
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 2
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Johan Diederich Fast

    Born 1909 in Rotterdam. Married in 1940 in 's-Gravenhage; doctor.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Johan Dirk Fast

    Born 1866 in Leeuwarden. Married in 1902 in 's-Gravenhage.

    Open Archives, AlleFriezen (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Johan Feitze Fast

    Born 1877 in Leeuwarden. Died 1951 in Eindhoven.

    Open Archives, AlleFriezen (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 103 records for Fast in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Germany78 records

78 records of the Fast name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Erich Fast

    Born 1893; from Danzig. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 4 January 1918; then reported missing in the list of 2 December 1918; then reported taken prisoner in the list of 25 June 1919 (Infantry Regiment No. 44).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Georg Fast

    From Mundenheim, Pfalz. Reported wounded in the Bavarian casualty list of 7 May 1915 (Infantry Regiment No. 23).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Hermann Fast

    From Sagard. Listed as returned from captivity in the Prussian casualty list of 6 April 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 78 records for Fast in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Canada50 records

50 records of the Fast name in Canada
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 17
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 12
  • Other Canadian records 21
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Elsbeth Fast

    Buried in 1979 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 77.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Adolph Fast

    Died 1980; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Helen Fast

    Buried in 1953 at Mount Hope Cemetery, Waterloo, Ontario.

    Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence

Showing 3 of 50 records for Fast in Canada.

Counts: City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

Norway16 records

16 records of the Fast name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Viktor Fast

    Census of 1910: Skippergate, Sandefjord; shoemaker, born 1888 in Sweden.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Chalotte Fast

    Census of 1910: Søndregate, Kristiania; laundry maid, born 1873 in Wermland.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Johan Fast

    Census of 1910: Skibudalen, Høvaag; "gatestenshugger", born 1895 in Kr.sand.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 3 of 16 records for Fast in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Australia10 records

10 records of the Fast name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 6
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 2
  • Other Australian records 2
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Peter S. M. Fast

    Miller of Footscray, Victoria; died 1920.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record W. Private Fast

    Arrived in Victoria in 1897 aboard the Orizaba, aged 32.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record M. E. Fast

    Of North Sydney, New South Wales; died 1916.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)

Showing 3 of 10 records for Fast in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Finland4 records

4 records of the Fast name in Finland
  • Finland's war dead, 1939–1945 3
  • Finland's war dead, 1914–1922 1
  1. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record Toivo Fast

    Born 1917 in Vuoksela; farmer. Died in 1942 during Finland's wars of 1939–1945; buried in Kauhajoki.

    Kansallisarkisto, via WarSampo (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record Kaarlo Aksel Fast

    Born 1894; labourer. Died in 1918 in Hausjärvi, one of the dead of Finland's wars of 1914–1922.

    Kansallisarkisto, via Sotasurmasampo (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Fast in Finland.

Counts: Kansallisarkisto, via WarSampo (CC BY 4.0) · Kansallisarkisto, via Sotasurmasampo (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Fast name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Isabella Margaret Fast

    Died 1990, aged 62; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Fast.

When the index is not enough

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