2000
#110,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 148
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Fechtner
A surname derived from the German word "fechten," meaning "to fight" or "to fence."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Fechtner. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fechtner 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Fechtner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fechtner, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fechtner
The surname Fechtner originates from Germany and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "fechten," which means to fence or fight with swords. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who was a skilled swordsman or a fencing instructor.
The earliest known record of the Fechtner surname appears in the town of Nuremberg in 1563, where a certain Hans Fechtner was listed as a citizen. During this time, Nuremberg was a prominent center for the production of swords and other weapons, which lends further credence to the name's connection with swordsmanship.
In the 17th century, the name Fechtner can be found in various German regions, particularly in Bavaria and Saxony. One notable individual from this era was Johann Fechtner, a renowned mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1637 to 1719. He made significant contributions to the fields of optics and celestial mechanics.
As the Fechtner family spread across Germany and into neighboring countries, variations in spelling emerged, such as Fechtener, Fechter, and Fechtnere. These variations often reflected regional dialects and linguistic differences.
In the 18th century, the Fechtner name gained prominence in the world of academia. Johann Georg Fechtner, a philosopher and theologian born in 1711, wrote extensively on metaphysics and ethics. His works influenced the intellectual discourse of his time.
Moving into the 19th century, one of the most renowned individuals with the Fechtner surname was Gustav Theodor Fechtner, a pioneering psychologist and physicist born in 1801. He is credited with laying the foundations of experimental psychology and introducing the concept of psychophysics, which explores the relationship between physical stimuli and subjective perceptions.
Throughout its history, the Fechtner name has been associated with various professions, including academics, artists, and craftsmen. The name's connection to swordsmanship and the art of fencing, however, remains a central theme in its etymology and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fechtner
Among Census respondents with the surname Fechtner, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Fechtner 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 Fechtner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.8% · 96
- Two or more races12.1% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fechtner
Fechtner 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
#120,187
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 144
-4 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 9,664 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-28 bearers (-19.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,841 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #110,523 | 148 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #120,187 | 144 | 0.05 | -4 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 9,664 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -28 bearers (-19.4%) | Down 24,841 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 Fechtner 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 | #120,187 | #145,028 | -20.7% |
| Count | 144 | 116 | -19.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -22.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fechtner bearers went from 144 to 116 (-19.4% change). The surname moved down 24,841 positions in the national ranking, going from #120,187 to #145,028.
FAQ
Fechtner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fechtner?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Fechtner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Fechtner?
Fechtner ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 116 people with the surname Fechtner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Fechtner.
Has Fechtner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fechtner went from 144 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 28 (-19.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #120,187 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Fechtner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fechtner, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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 Fechtner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.8% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fechtner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.8%), Two or More Races (12.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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 Fechtner (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 Fechtner mean?
A surname derived from the German word "fechten," meaning "to fight" or "to fence." 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 Fechtner (0.04 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 have the last name Fechtner?
See how common the surname Fechtner is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.