2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Feeken
A surname derived from a Dutch word meaning "chubby" or "plump" person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Feeken. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Feeken 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Feeken in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Feeken, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.9%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Feeken
The surname Feeken is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period. It is thought to derive from the Old German word "feken," which means "to make ready" or "to prepare." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an occupation or trade involving preparation or readying goods or materials.
In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony, with spellings such as Feken, Feiken, and Feeken. It is likely that the name was first adopted by individuals involved in occupations related to preparation or organization, such as merchants, tradesmen, or craftsmen.
One of the earliest documented references to the Feeken surname can be found in the Stadtbücher (city books) of Nürnberg, dated around the 14th century. These records mention individuals with the surname Feeken residing in the city during that time period.
Among the notable historical figures bearing the Feeken surname is Johann Feeken (1545-1612), a German theologian and writer from Rostock. He authored several works on religious topics and was known for his contributions to the Protestant Reformation.
Another individual of note is Christoph Feeken (1672-1738), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Prince-Bishop of Münster. His compositions, primarily for organ and church music, were widely performed and appreciated during his lifetime.
In the 18th century, a prominent member of the Feeken family was Johanna Feeken (1720-1788), a businesswoman and landowner from the town of Göttingen. She was known for her successful management of her family's estates and businesses, which included mills and breweries.
The Feeken surname also has ties to various place names in Germany, such as Fekenhausen, a village in the state of Hesse, and Fekenhayn, a former settlement in Saxony. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
While the Feeken surname is not among the most common in Germany, it has a rich history dating back to the medieval period and has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, and entrepreneurs.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Feeken
Among Census respondents with the surname Feeken, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.9%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Feeken 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 Feeken surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.7% · 102
- Two or more races10.9% · 13
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Feeken
Feeken 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+12 bearers (+10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,223 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-5 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,195 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+10.7%) | Up 2,223 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 7,195 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 Feeken 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 | #135,593 | #142,788 | -5.3% |
| Count | 124 | 119 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Feeken bearers went from 124 to 119 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 7,195 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #142,788.
FAQ
Feeken surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Feeken?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Feeken. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Feeken?
Feeken ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Feeken. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Feeken.
Has Feeken become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Feeken went from 124 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Feeken?
Among Census respondents with the surname Feeken, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.9%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Feeken in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.7% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Feeken appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.7%), Two or More Races (10.9%), Black (1.7%). 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 Feeken (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 Feeken mean?
A surname derived from a Dutch word meaning "chubby" or "plump" person. 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 Feeken (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 share the surname Feeken?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.