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

Fechner, 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 Fechner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fechner in America

Fechner is the 30477th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fechner surname appeared 766 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 Fechner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fechner 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 Fechner

The surname Fechner is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "fach," meaning "compartment" or "section," suggesting that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who worked in specific trades or occupations related to partitions or sectioning.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Bavarian town of Bamberg, where a certain Henricus Fechner was mentioned in a 14th-century document dated around 1380. This suggests that the name was already established in southern Germany during that period.

In the 15th century, the surname appeared in various historical records across different regions of Germany, including the city of Nuremberg, where a merchant named Hans Fechner was documented in 1472. This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of the country by that time.

During the 16th century, the Fechner family gained prominence in the city of Leipzig, where several members were involved in the local guilds and civic affairs. One notable figure was Johann Fechner, a master craftsman and guild leader who lived from 1520 to 1587.

The 17th century saw the emergence of a prominent Fechner family in the town of Zittau, located in the eastern part of Germany near the border with Poland. This branch produced several respected scholars and academics, including Christian Fechner (1624-1680), who was a renowned theologian and author.

In the 18th century, the name Fechner gained further recognition with the birth of Gustav Theodor Fechner (1801-1887), a renowned German philosopher, psychologist, and physicist. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of modern experimental psychology and is credited with introducing the concept of the "inner psychophysical measurement" method.

Another notable figure with the surname Fechner was Max Fechner (1892-1973), a German engineer and aircraft designer who played a significant role in the development of early jet engines during the mid-20th century.

Throughout its history, the surname Fechner has been associated with various occupations and professions, including craftsmen, merchants, scholars, and engineers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of individuals bearing this name across different regions of Germany.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fechner

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

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 Fechner 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 Fechner 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 Fechner was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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