2000
#24,491
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 957
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.35
Rare Last name
Feddersen
A German surname derived from a patronymic form meaning "son of Feder".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,042 Americans carry the last name Feddersen. That puts it at #27,975 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 328,939 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Feddersen 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
1.0K
1 in 328,939
Census rank
#27,975
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
909
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 909 bearers of the surname Feddersen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27975th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Feddersen, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Feddersen
The surname Feddersen has its origins in Northern Germany and Denmark, particularly in the regions of Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 12th to 14th centuries. The name is derived from the Germanic personal name "Feder" or "Fether," which means "father" or "ancestor." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to the son or descendant of someone named Feder or Fether.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Feddersen can be traced back to the late 13th century, where a person named Henricus Feddersen was mentioned in the records of the city of Lübeck in Northern Germany. This indicates that the name had already become established in the region by that time.
In the 15th century, the name Feddersen appears in various historical documents, such as land records and church registers, in the areas of Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland. This suggests that the name had spread across these regions, which were closely connected due to their geographical proximity and cultural ties.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, several notable individuals with the surname Feddersen emerged. One example is Hans Feddersen (1548-1624), a German merchant and alderman from the city of Itzehoe in Schleswig-Holstein. Another notable figure was Johann Feddersen (1617-1678), a Lutheran clergyman and poet from the same region.
In the 18th century, the name Feddersen continued to be found in various parts of Northern Germany and Denmark. One prominent individual was Christian Feddersen (1785-1855), a Danish-born merchant and ship owner who played a significant role in the economic development of the city of Altona, now a part of Hamburg, Germany.
As the centuries progressed, the surname Feddersen spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, carried by individuals who migrated or emigrated from the regions of Northern Germany and Denmark. For instance, in the 19th century, a family with the surname Feddersen settled in the United States, where they established themselves in the state of Wisconsin.
Throughout its history, the surname Feddersen has maintained its strong association with Northern Germany and Denmark, reflecting the cultural and linguistic heritage of these regions. While the name may have undergone minor spelling variations over time, its core meaning and roots remain deeply connected to the Germanic territories where it originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Feddersen
Among Census respondents with the surname Feddersen, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Feddersen 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 Feddersen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 854
- Two or more races3.0% · 27
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 4
- Black or African American0.3% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Feddersen
Feddersen 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
#24,822
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,003
+46 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Down 331 places
2020
#27,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 909
-94 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.30
Rank movement Down 3,153 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #24,491 | 957 | 0.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,822 | 1,003 | 0.34 | +46 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 331 places |
| 2020 | #27,975 | 909 | 0.30 | -94 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 3,153 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 Feddersen 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 | #24,822 | #27,975 | -12.7% |
| Count | 1,003 | 909 | -9.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.34 | 0.30 | -10.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Feddersen bearers went from 1,003 to 909 (-9.4% change). The surname moved down 3,153 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,822 to #27,975.
FAQ
Feddersen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Feddersen?
Name Census estimates that about 1,042 living Americans carry the surname Feddersen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 328,939 residents.
How common is Feddersen?
Feddersen ranks #27,975 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.30 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 909 people with the surname Feddersen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,042), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.30 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 Feddersen.
Has Feddersen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Feddersen went from 1,003 recorded bearers to 909. That is a decrease of 94 (-9.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #24,822 to #27,975.
What does the Census say about the background of Feddersen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Feddersen, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Feddersen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (854 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Feddersen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Feddersen (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 Feddersen mean?
A German surname derived from a patronymic form meaning "son of Feder". 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 Feddersen (0.30 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 Feddersen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.