Find out how popular the last name Faerber is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Faerber.

Faerber, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Faerber surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Faerber in America

Faerber is the 32079th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Faerber surname appeared 719 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Faerber.

We can also compare 2010 data for Faerber to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Faerber

The surname Faerber is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "verwe" meaning "color" or "dye." It refers to an occupation, specifically a dyer of textiles or fabrics. The name first appeared in the late 12th century in regions such as Bavaria, Saxony, and Rhineland-Palatinate.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Faerber can be found in the Codex Traditionum Monasterii Mellicensis, a cartulary from the Melk Abbey in Lower Austria, dated around 1200. This document mentions a certain "Hermannus Verber" (Hermann the Dyer) who owned land in the village of Poppendorf.

In the 14th century, the name Faerber (and its variations like Färber, Ferber, and Verber) appeared in numerous town and village records across Germany. For example, a man named Hans Ferber is listed as a citizen of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in 1365.

One notable early bearer of the name was Meister Ulrich Faerber, a painter and woodcarver who lived in Nuremberg in the late 15th century. He is known for his intricate altarpieces and sculptures adorning several churches in the region.

Another prominent figure with this surname was Johann Faerber (1668-1721), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Giessen. His works included treatises on ethics, logic, and metaphysics.

In the 18th century, the name Faerber spread beyond Germany to neighboring countries like Austria and Switzerland. For instance, Joseph Faerber (1743-1820) was a Swiss Catholic priest and historian who authored several books on the history of the Canton of Zug.

The name Faerber also has connections to various place names. For example, the village of Färberau in Saxony was named after its dye works and the families of dyers who lived there. Similarly, the town of Färbersgrün in Thuringia likely derived its name from the presence of dye workshops and Faerber families in the area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Faerber

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Faerber.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Faerber was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Faerber has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Faerber was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Faerber, please contact us.

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