2000
#9,945
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,993
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Feathers
An English occupational surname referring to a person who sold or worked with feathers or plumes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,301 Americans carry the last name Feathers. That puts it at #10,614 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 103,833 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Feathers 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 Feathers with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 103,833
Census rank
#10,614
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,879 bearers of the surname Feathers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10614th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Feathers, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Feathers
The surname "Feathers" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "fethera," which means "feathers" or "plumes." The name likely referred to someone who worked with feathers, such as a fletcher (an arrow maker) or a feather merchant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Feathers" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Federe." This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, recorded landholdings across England and Wales, providing valuable insights into the distribution of surnames at the time.
In the 13th century, the name "Feathers" appeared in various forms, including "Fethers," "Fetheres," and "Federes." These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling during that era. The name was particularly prevalent in counties such as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk, where the trade of arrow-making and feather craftsmanship flourished.
One notable individual bearing the surname "Feathers" was John Feathers, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of York during the 15th century. Records show that he was actively involved in the wool trade and held significant influence within the city's guilds.
Another individual of note was William Feathers, a scholar and clergyman born in 1567 in Lincolnshire. He attended Cambridge University and later became the rector of St. Peter's Church in Nottinghamshire, where he served until his death in 1640.
In the 17th century, the name "Feathers" appeared in various parish records and legal documents across England. One such example is Thomas Feathers, a landowner from Yorkshire, who was mentioned in a property deed dated 1675.
The 18th century saw the emergence of several notable individuals with the surname "Feathers." One such figure was Elizabeth Feathers, a renowned author and poet from Norfolk, who published several collections of works between 1720 and 1745.
In the 19th century, the name "Feathers" gained recognition through the achievements of James Feathers, a renowned architect from Lancashire. He designed several prominent buildings, including the town hall in Blackburn, which still stands today as a testament to his architectural prowess.
Throughout its history, the surname "Feathers" has maintained a strong presence across England, particularly in regions associated with the trade of feathers, arrow-making, and related crafts. While the name's origins can be traced back to medieval times, its enduring legacy continues to be woven into the fabric of English history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Feathers
Among Census respondents with the surname Feathers, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Feathers 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 Feathers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.2% · 2,481
- Two or more races4.6% · 133
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.8% · 109
- Black or African American2.9% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 66
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Feathers
Feathers 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
#10,167
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,173
+180 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 222 places
2020
#10,614
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,879
-294 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 447 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,945 | 2,993 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,167 | 3,173 | 1.08 | +180 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 222 places |
| 2020 | #10,614 | 2,879 | 0.96 | -294 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 447 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 Feathers 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 | #10,167 | #10,614 | -4.4% |
| Count | 3,173 | 2,879 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 0.96 | -10.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Feathers bearers went from 3,173 to 2,879 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 447 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,167 to #10,614.
FAQ
Feathers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Feathers?
Name Census estimates that about 3,301 living Americans carry the surname Feathers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 103,833 residents.
How common is Feathers?
Feathers ranks #10,614 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.96 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 2,879 people with the surname Feathers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,301), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.96 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 Feathers.
Has Feathers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Feathers went from 3,173 recorded bearers to 2,879. That is a decrease of 294 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,167 to #10,614.
What does the Census say about the background of Feathers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Feathers, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.8%). 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 Feathers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.2% (2,481 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Feathers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.2%), Two or More Races (4.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.8%). 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 Feathers (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 Feathers mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who sold or worked with feathers or plumes. 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 Feathers (0.96 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 people share the surname Feathers?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.