2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fegett
A habitational surname deriving from the settlement of Fidget in Lancashire.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Fegett. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fegett 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Fegett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fegett, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Black (3.5%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fegett
The surname Fegett is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from an Old English word "feget," which means "to fetch" or "to bring." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person whose occupation involved fetching or delivering goods or messages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fegett can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset, dated 1230, where a certain Roger Fegett is mentioned. Another early reference is in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, which lists a John Fegett as a taxpayer in the county.
The surname Fegett is believed to have evolved from various spelling variations over time, such as Fegget, Feggett, and Feggitt. Some of these variations may have been influenced by regional dialects or clerical errors in record-keeping.
During the 14th century, the name Fegett appeared in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire, where a John Fegett is mentioned in 1348. This record suggests that the Fegett family may have had a presence in the northern county of Yorkshire around this time.
Notable individuals with the surname Fegett throughout history include:
1. William Fegett (c. 1525 - 1587), an English merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire, who served as a member of Parliament for Grantham in 1558.
2. Margery Fegett (c. 1560 - 1632), a landowner and philanthropist from Oxfordshire, who donated funds for the construction of a school and almshouses in the village of Watlington.
3. Thomas Fegett (c. 1620 - 1689), an English clergyman and author from Nottinghamshire, known for his theological writings and sermons.
4. Elizabeth Fegett (c. 1670 - 1742), a prominent figure in the Quaker community of Pennsylvania, who was among the earliest settlers in the city of Philadelphia.
5. James Fegett (1785 - 1861), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a renowned cartographer.
While the surname Fegett is not among the most common in England or the United States, its long history and varied contributions to different fields make it a notable part of the rich tapestry of family names.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fegett
Among Census respondents with the surname Fegett, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Black (3.5%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Fegett 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 Fegett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 104
- Black or African American3.5% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fegett
Fegett 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,496 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 758 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 7,496 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 758 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 Fegett 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 | #147,253 | #146,495 | 0.5% |
| Count | 112 | 114 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fegett bearers went from 112 to 114 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 758 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #146,495.
FAQ
Fegett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fegett?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Fegett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Fegett?
Fegett ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Fegett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Fegett.
Has Fegett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fegett went from 112 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Fegett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fegett, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Black (3.5%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Fegett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fegett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Black (3.5%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Fegett (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 Fegett mean?
A habitational surname deriving from the settlement of Fidget in Lancashire. 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 Fegett (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 are called Fegett?
Find out how common the surname Fegett is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.