The Fisk surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 9,779 people carried this name — #3,634 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 30,100 people counted. About the same as in 2000 (9,742).

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What the name means

The meaning of the Fisk surname

A surname originating as an occupation or transferred from the nickname [in turn from Old Norse].

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Fisk» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a nickname: ‘the fish’.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 289 · public domain.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 27 people named Fisk.

3 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 4 départements, most often Calvados.

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

Where they were born

Born outside France 3
Calvados 16
Oise 5
Yvelines 2
Vienne 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In the Nordic population registers

260 people named Fisk 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) 145
Finland (2026) 115

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.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Fisk was found among the farmers of Suffolk: 16 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent. His list gives one count for the spellings Fisk and Fiske.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Suffolk 16

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

189 families named Fisk, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 1,143 people lived in those households, 6.1 to a family on average. The table counts it together with one other spelling. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 101
New Hampshire 19
Vermont 17
Rhode Island 17
Connecticut 13
New York 12
Pennsylvania 5
Maine 3
North Carolina 1
South Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 240 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Fisk in American newspapers,
1870–1879.

Newspaper page from Morning Appeal carrying the name Fisk
Morning Appeal 1879-05-02
Newspaper page from The Evening Telegraph carrying the name Fisk
The Evening Telegraph 1870-09-26
Newspaper page from The Silver State carrying the name Fisk
The Silver State 1879-05-20

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 6,039 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Fisk in Australian newspapers,
1800s–2000s.

14,973 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Fisk. The most, 7,103, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in South Australia, at 4.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

South Australia 6,822
New South Wales 3,345
Victoria 1,746
Queensland 1,432
Western Australia 815
Tasmania 546
ACT (Canberra) 166
Northern Territory 9

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

Who carried it

People named Fisk,
with a public archive behind them.

  • James Fisk
    James Fisk 1763–1844 · judge
  • Jonathan Fisk
    Jonathan Fisk 1778–1832 · lawyer
  • Willbur Fisk
    Willbur Fisk 1792–1839 · theologian
  • Greenleaf Fisk
    Greenleaf Fisk 1807–1888 · politician
  • Cato Fisk d. 1824 · musician
  • Simone Bareau d. 2001

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 Fisk,
in the records of 9 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 States1,127 records

1,127 records of the Fisk name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 350
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 217
  • Other U.S. records 560
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Barry Kevin Fisk

    Born 1945; from Long Island City, New York. U.S. Army, field artillery unit commander; killed in action 1968 in Quang Ngai, South Vietnam. Buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Bessie D. Fisk

    Born 1899 in South Dakota. Enlisted 1943 in the Women's Army Corps at Portland, Oregon; hospital attendant. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1981, buried at Black Hills National Cemetery, South Dakota.

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

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Britannic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 25; servant. From Dolgely, England; bound for Chicago.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,127 records for Fisk in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia261 records

261 records of the Fisk name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 129
  • Tasmanian Names Index 55
  • Other Australian records 77
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record James Fisk

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Arab, sailing from England in 1822. Native of Norwich, Norfolk.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (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 Edwd Fisk

    Arrived in Victoria in 1852 aboard the Jas Carson, aged 8; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Arthur Henry Fisk

    Farmer of Carpendeit, Victoria; died 1967.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 261 records for Fisk in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada83 records

83 records of the Fisk name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 47
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 14
  • Other Canadian records 22
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record John Edward Fisk

    Buried in 1973 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 65.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Lillie May Fisk

    Died 1944 in Paradise, Annapolis, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Frederick Charles Fisk

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 83 records for Fisk in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom14 records

14 records of the Fisk name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 13
  • Stirling Council burial records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Gavin Fisk

    Buried in 1944 at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 31.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. Fisk

    Sapper, Engineers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record R. W. Fisk

    Royal Irish Rifles. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 14 records for Fisk in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France11 records

11 records of the Fisk name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Fernand Andre Louis Fisk

    Born 1944 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye; died 1994 in Maisons-Laffitte (Yvelines).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Fernande Marie Fisk

    Born 1911 in Lacroix-Saint-Ouen (Oise); died 1997 in Honfleur (Calvados).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record John Robinson Fisk

    Born 1936 in the United States; died 1995 in Clichy (Hauts-de-Seine).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 11 records for Fisk in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

New Zealand9 records

9 records of the Fisk name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 7
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Rita Edna Fisk

    Died 1966, aged 63; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Catherine Mary Fisk

    Died 1965, aged 88; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jane Elizabeth Fisk

    Died 1929, aged 76; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 9 records for Fisk in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District 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).

Finland4 records

4 records of the Fisk name in Finland
  • Finland's war dead, 1914–1922 2
  • Finland's war dead, 1939–1945 2
  1. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record Juho Aapo Fisk

    Born 1901 in Tervola; labourer. Died in 1943 during Finland's wars of 1939–1945; buried in Kemi.

    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 Juho Laine Nestorinpoika Fisk

    Born 1887; farmhand. Died in 1918 in Hämeenlinna, one of the dead of Finland's wars of 1914–1922.

    Kansallisarkisto, via Sotasurmasampo (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Fisk in Finland.

Counts: Kansallisarkisto, via Sotasurmasampo (CC BY 4.0) · Kansallisarkisto, via WarSampo (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).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Fisk name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 1
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Frederik Edward Fisk

    Married in 1946 in Beverwijk; butcher.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Sarah Fisk

    In the population register of Amsterdam; born 1866 in Norwich.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (CC BY 4.0)

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); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Norway1 record

1 record of the Fisk name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Anne Fisk

    Census of 1910: Hegre (gaard), Hegre; dairymaid, born 1843 in Selbu.

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

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).

Other spellings of this name

The same name, spelled another way.

Spellings that H. B. Guppy (England and Wales, 1890) or the Registrar-General for Ireland (births index of 1890) counted as one name together with Fisk.

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Fisk.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Fisk is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Fisk volume
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