2000
#6,877
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,507
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.67
Rare Last name
Feaster
An occupational surname for a person who organized or worked at feasts, or a derivation of Pfister, meaning baker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,903 Americans carry the last name Feaster. That puts it at #7,512 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 69,907 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Feaster 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.
Bearers in the US
4.9K
1 in 69,907
Census rank
#7,512
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,276 bearers of the surname Feaster in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7512th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Feaster, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.7%. The next largest groups are Black (41.2%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Feaster
The surname Feaster originated in England during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Middle English word "feaste," which means a feast or celebration. The name likely referred to someone who worked as a cook or caterer for festive occasions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Feaster can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where it appears as "Feystour." This spelling variation indicates the name's connection to the word "feast."
In the 14th century, the name Feaster was primarily concentrated in the counties of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire in the West Midlands region of England. During this time, the Feaster family may have been involved in preparing or serving food and drinks for local festivals, fairs, or religious celebrations.
The Feaster surname can also be traced back to place names in England. For example, there is a village called Feaster in Staffordshire, which likely contributed to the name's origin and early use in that area.
One notable individual with the Feaster surname was John Feaster, a merchant and alderman who lived in Bristol, England, in the late 16th century (c. 1550-1620). He played a significant role in the city's trade and governance during his lifetime.
Another prominent figure was Sir William Feaster (1602-1679), an English politician and landowner from Warwickshire. He served as a Member of Parliament and was knighted by King Charles I in recognition of his support during the English Civil War.
In the 17th century, the name Feaster also appeared in colonial America. One of the earliest recorded instances was Thomas Feaster, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and became a prominent landowner and planter.
Samuel Feaster (1720-1795) was a notable American Revolutionary War soldier from Pennsylvania. He fought in several battles and achieved the rank of captain during the conflict.
Another individual worth mentioning is Mary Feaster (1784-1866), a Quaker educator and abolitionist from Ohio. She established several schools and advocated for the education of enslaved individuals and Native Americans.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Feaster
Among Census respondents with the surname Feaster, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.7%. The next largest groups are Black (41.2%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Feaster 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 Feaster surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.7% · 2,169
- Black or African American41.2% · 1,762
- Two or more races4.4% · 187
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 126
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Feaster
Feaster 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
#6,900
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,871
+364 bearers (+8.1%)
Per 100,000 1.65
Rank movement Down 23 places
2020
#7,512
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,276
-595 bearers (-12.2%)
Per 100,000 1.43
Rank movement Down 612 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,877 | 4,507 | 1.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,900 | 4,871 | 1.65 | +364 bearers (+8.1%) | Down 23 places |
| 2020 | #7,512 | 4,276 | 1.43 | -595 bearers (-12.2%) | Down 612 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 Feaster 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 | #6,900 | #7,512 | -8.9% |
| Count | 4,871 | 4,276 | -12.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.65 | 1.43 | -13.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Feaster bearers went from 4,871 to 4,276 (-12.2% change). The surname moved down 612 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,900 to #7,512.
FAQ
Feaster surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Feaster?
Name Census estimates that about 4,903 living Americans carry the surname Feaster. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 69,907 residents.
How common is Feaster?
Feaster ranks #7,512 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,276 people with the surname Feaster. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,903), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Feaster.
Has Feaster become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Feaster went from 4,871 recorded bearers to 4,276. That is a decrease of 595 (-12.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,900 to #7,512.
What does the Census say about the background of Feaster?
Among Census respondents with the surname Feaster, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.7%. The next largest groups are Black (41.2%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Feaster in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.7% (2,169 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Feaster appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (50.7%), Black (41.2%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Feaster (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 Feaster mean?
An occupational surname for a person who organized or worked at feasts, or a derivation of Pfister, meaning baker. 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 Feaster (1.43 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 Feaster?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.