Find out how popular the last name Feemster is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Feemster.

Feemster, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Feemster surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Feemster in America

Feemster is the 18867th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Feemster surname appeared 1,449 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Feemster.

We can also compare 2010 data for Feemster to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Feemster

The surname Feemster is of English origin, first appearing in records during the late 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "fem" meaning "a marsh or fen" and the suffix "ster" which denotes "a person from". This suggests the name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked in a marshy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Feemster can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Nottinghamshire, England. In 1592, a Richard Feemster was listed as a witness to a property transaction. It is probable that the name had already been in use for several generations before this documented case.

The Feemster surname is also linked to various place names across England, such as Feemster's Croft in Derbyshire and Feemster's Field in Lincolnshire. These locations may have been named after early Feemster families who settled or owned land there.

Notable individuals bearing the Feemster name throughout history include John Feemster (1645-1712), a prominent merchant and landowner in Bristol, England. His grandson, William Feemster (1678-1749), was a member of the British Parliament representing the borough of Great Yarmouth.

In the 18th century, the Feemster family had established a presence in the American colonies. Benjamin Feemster (1720-1805), a farmer from Pennsylvania, fought in the Revolutionary War and is recorded as a patriot in the records of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Another significant figure was Mary Feemster (1810-1892), a pioneering educator who established one of the first schools for freed slaves in North Carolina after the Civil War. Her efforts in promoting education for African Americans were widely acclaimed during her lifetime.

As the centuries progressed, the Feemster surname continued to spread across various regions of the United States and beyond. Thomas Feemster (1856-1932), a cattle rancher from Texas, played a pivotal role in the development of the American West during the late 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Feemster

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Feemster.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Feemster was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Feemster has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Feemster was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Feemster, please contact us.

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