The Fletcher surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 83,063 people carried this name — #382 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 3,550 people counted. That is up 3% from 80,932 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Fletcher surname
A surname originating as an occupation, from the profession of fletcher.
English occupational surname from the noun fletcher (“arrow-maker”). Sometimes confused with Flesher.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Fletcher» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 22 births for the Fletcher name in 1890.
Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 1,000 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 96 people named Fletcher.
Most of them — 54 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 11 départements, most often Paris.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
74 people named Fletcher live in Switzerland.
They live in 6 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Poland’s population register
37 people named Fletcher have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 101 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 7 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Masovian.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In the Nordic population registers
102 people named Fletcher is counted in Sweden.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.
Counted, by country
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).
In print
Fletcher in American newspapers,
1914–1924.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 874,834 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Fletcher,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Giles Fletcher 1548–1611 · writer -
Christian Fletcher 1619–1691 -
Andrew Fletcher 1655–1716 · politician -
Andrew Fletcher, Lord Milton 1692–1766 · judge -
John William Fletcher 1729–1785 · theologian
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 162 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Fletcher.
- Fleig 894 · U.S. census
- Fleisch 321 · U.S. census
- Fleischer 3,981 · U.S. census
- Fleischmann 2,206 · U.S. census
- Fleming 90,677 · U.S. census
- Flesch 1,487 · U.S. census
- Fleurant 609 · U.S. census
- Fleury 4,934 · U.S. census
- Flick 7,661 · U.S. census
- Flicker 700 · U.S. census
- Flis 713 · U.S. census
- Floch 176 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Fletcher 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.