2000
#10,807
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,708
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.00
Rare Last name
Feder
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname referring to a feather, quill, or pen, or an occupational name for a feather dresser.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,076 Americans carry the last name Feder. That puts it at #11,268 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 111,429 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Feder 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
3.1K
1 in 111,429
Census rank
#11,268
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,682 bearers of the surname Feder in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11268th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Feder, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Feder
The surname Feder originated in Germany, with its earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "veder," which means "feather" or "plume." This word has its roots in the Old High German "fadara" and the Proto-Germanic "feþrō."
One of the earliest known references to the name Feder can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony. In this collection, a certain "Henricus Feder" is mentioned in a document dated 1285.
The name Feder was particularly prevalent in the regions of Saxony, Thuringia, and Bavaria. It is believed that the name may have originally been an occupational surname, referring to individuals who worked with feathers, such as quill makers or fletchers (arrow makers).
In the 14th century, the name Feder appeared in various forms, including "Federer" and "Feddern." These variations likely stemmed from regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Feder throughout history include Johann Georg Feder (1740-1821), a German philosopher and professor of philosophy at the University of Göttingen. Another notable figure was Johann Michael Feder (1753-1824), a German painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits.
In the 16th century, a renowned figure named Hans Feder (1490-1542) was a prominent Lutheran theologian and reformer. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was a close associate of Martin Luther.
Moving forward to the 19th century, Carl Feder (1811-1888) was a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Frankfurt Parliament during the revolutions of 1848-1849.
Another notable individual was Ernst Feder (1881-1964), an Austrian architect and urban planner who made significant contributions to the development of modern architecture in Vienna in the early 20th century.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Feder throughout history, reflecting its roots and prevalence in German-speaking regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Feder
Among Census respondents with the surname Feder, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Feder 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 Feder surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 2,519
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 82
- Two or more races1.5% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 23
- Black or African American0.6% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Feder
Feder 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
#11,026
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,884
+176 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Down 219 places
2020
#11,268
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,682
-202 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 242 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,807 | 2,708 | 1.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,026 | 2,884 | 0.98 | +176 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 219 places |
| 2020 | #11,268 | 2,682 | 0.90 | -202 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 242 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 Feder 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 | #11,026 | #11,268 | -2.2% |
| Count | 2,884 | 2,682 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.98 | 0.90 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Feder bearers went from 2,884 to 2,682 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 242 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,026 to #11,268.
FAQ
Feder surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Feder?
Name Census estimates that about 3,076 living Americans carry the surname Feder. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 111,429 residents.
How common is Feder?
Feder ranks #11,268 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.90 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 2,682 people with the surname Feder. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,076), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.90 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 Feder.
Has Feder become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Feder went from 2,884 recorded bearers to 2,682. That is a decrease of 202 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,026 to #11,268.
What does the Census say about the background of Feder?
Among Census respondents with the surname Feder, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Feder in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (2,519 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Feder appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Feder (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 Feder mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname referring to a feather, quill, or pen, or an occupational name for a feather dresser. 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 Feder (0.90 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 Feder?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.