2000
#53,299
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 364
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Federle
A surname derived from the German term "Federlese" meaning "gathering feathers".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 435 Americans carry the last name Federle. That puts it at #57,938 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 787,941 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Federle 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
435
1 in 787,941
Census rank
#57,938
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
379
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 379 bearers of the surname Federle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 57938th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Federle, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Federle
The surname FEDERLE is of German origin, with roots dating back to the 16th century in the southern regions of Germany. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Feder," which means feather, suggesting that the name may have been an occupational name for someone involved in the feather trade or featherwork.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name FEDERLE can be found in the Nuremberg tax records of 1587, where a Hans Federle is mentioned as a resident of the city. The name also appears in various church records and municipal documents from the 17th and 18th centuries in towns across Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
During the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the name FEDERLE was Johann Georg Federle (1631-1698), a German theologian and author who served as a minister in Nuremberg. His works on religious and moral subjects were widely read in his time.
In the 18th century, the name FEDERLE gained prominence in the arts, with Johann Baptist Federle (1741-1811), a celebrated sculptor and woodcarver from Würzburg. His intricate woodcarvings adorned many churches and buildings in the region, and his work is still admired for its craftsmanship.
As the 19th century dawned, the FEDERLE name spread beyond Germany's borders. One notable figure was Friedrich Federle (1803-1875), a Swiss politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Federal Council, the executive branch of the Swiss government.
Another prominent individual was Alois Federle (1858-1924), an Austrian architect and academic. He designed several notable buildings in Vienna and served as a professor at the Vienna University of Technology, shaping the next generation of architects.
The 20th century saw the FEDERLE name continue to flourish, with individuals making their mark in various fields. One such person was Reinhard Federle (1929-2016), a German actor and voice artist who lent his voice to numerous film and television projects, including beloved animated series.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Federle
Among Census respondents with the surname Federle, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Federle 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 Federle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 352
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 11
- Two or more races2.6% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Federle
Federle 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
#55,121
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 373
+9 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 1,822 places
2020
#57,938
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 379
+6 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 2,817 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #53,299 | 364 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #55,121 | 373 | 0.13 | +9 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 1,822 places |
| 2020 | #57,938 | 379 | 0.13 | +6 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 2,817 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 Federle 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 | #55,121 | #57,938 | -5.1% |
| Count | 373 | 379 | 1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.13 | -2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Federle bearers went from 373 to 379 (+1.6% change). The surname moved down 2,817 positions in the national ranking, going from #55,121 to #57,938.
FAQ
Federle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Federle?
Name Census estimates that about 435 living Americans carry the surname Federle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 787,941 residents.
How common is Federle?
Federle ranks #57,938 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 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 379 people with the surname Federle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (435), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 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 Federle.
Has Federle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Federle went from 373 recorded bearers to 379. That is an increase of 6 (+1.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #55,121 to #57,938.
What does the Census say about the background of Federle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Federle, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Federle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (352 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Federle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Federle (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 Federle mean?
A surname derived from the German term "Federlese" meaning "gathering feathers". 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 Federle (0.13 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 common is the surname Federle?
Find out how common the surname Federle is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.