2000
#4,701
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,896
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.56
Rare Last name
Farber
An occupational surname referring to a dyer or painter, derived from the German word "Farber" meaning "painter" or "dyer."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,298 Americans carry the last name Farber. That puts it at #5,287 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,966 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Farber surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Farber with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.3K
1 in 46,966
Census rank
#5,287
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,364 bearers of the surname Farber in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5287th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Farber, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Farber
The surname Farber originates from the German language, derived from the word "farbe" meaning "color" or "dye." It is believed to have first emerged in the 14th century in the regions of Germany and Austria, where it was initially an occupational name for a dyer or someone involved in the dyeing trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Farber surname can be traced back to the 15th century in the city of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Farber was mentioned in official records dated 1463. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.
During the Middle Ages, the Farber name was closely associated with the guild system, where families often passed down their occupations from generation to generation. Dyers played an essential role in the textile industry, which was a significant economic force in many European cities during that era.
While the Farber surname is predominantly of German origin, it also spread to other parts of Europe through migration and trade. In the 16th century, a family bearing the name Farber was recorded in the Netherlands, where they were likely involved in the flourishing textile industry of that region.
One notable figure in history who carried the Farber surname was Johann Farber, a German mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1668 to 1730. He is best known for his contributions to the study of comets and the calculation of their orbits.
Another individual of historical significance was Johann Georg Farber, a German botanist and physician who lived from 1668 to 1744. He authored several works on medicinal plants and is considered a pioneer in the field of pharmacognosy.
In the 19th century, the Farber name gained prominence in the artistic world with the German painter and engraver Ferdinand Farber (1816-1886), whose works were exhibited in prestigious galleries across Europe.
Moving into the 20th century, one cannot overlook the influence of Samuel Farber, an American film producer and screenwriter who was born in 1924. He is best known for his collaborations with renowned directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Billy Wilder.
Throughout its long history, the Farber surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scientists, artists, and entrepreneurs, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those who once shared a common occupational heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Farber
Among Census respondents with the surname Farber, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Farber bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Farber surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 5,870
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 252
- Two or more races2.1% · 136
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 51
- Black or African American0.7% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Farber
Farber appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,077
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,897
+1 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 2.34
Rank movement Down 376 places
2020
#5,287
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,364
-533 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 2.13
Rank movement Down 210 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,701 | 6,896 | 2.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,077 | 6,897 | 2.34 | +1 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 376 places |
| 2020 | #5,287 | 6,364 | 2.13 | -533 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 210 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Farber surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,077 | #5,287 | -4.1% |
| Count | 6,897 | 6,364 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.34 | 2.13 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Farber bearers went from 6,897 to 6,364 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 210 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,077 to #5,287.
FAQ
Farber surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Farber?
Name Census estimates that about 7,298 living Americans carry the surname Farber. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,966 residents.
How common is Farber?
Farber ranks #5,287 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,364 people with the surname Farber. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,298), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Farber.
Has Farber become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Farber went from 6,897 recorded bearers to 6,364. That is a decrease of 533 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,077 to #5,287.
What does the Census say about the background of Farber?
Among Census respondents with the surname Farber, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Farber in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (5,870 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Farber appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (2.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Farber (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Farber mean?
An occupational surname referring to a dyer or painter, derived from the German word "Farber" meaning "painter" or "dyer." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Farber (2.13 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Farber?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.