2000
#30,614
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 719
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.27
Very Rare Last name
Fehl
A surname likely of German origin meaning "fault" or "defect".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 814 Americans carry the last name Fehl. That puts it at #34,389 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 421,074 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fehl 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
814
1 in 421,074
Census rank
#34,389
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
710
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 710 bearers of the surname Fehl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 34389th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fehl
The surname Fehl originated in Germany and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "fehl," which means "wrong" or "error." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname or a descriptive term for someone who was prone to making mistakes or errors.
In the Middle Ages, surnames were often derived from personal characteristics, occupations, or places of origin. The Fehl surname likely emerged as a descriptive name for individuals who were known for their clumsiness or tendency to make errors.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Fehl surname can be found in the records of the city of Nuremberg, Germany, dating back to the late 13th century. A certain Heinricus Fehl was listed as a resident of the city in 1287.
Throughout the centuries, the Fehl name has been associated with various notable individuals. In the 16th century, Hans Fehl (1518-1592) was a prominent German painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraits.
In the 18th century, Johann Gottfried Fehl (1741-1809) was a German philosopher and writer who made significant contributions to the field of aesthetics.
Another notable bearer of the Fehl surname was Friedrich Fehl (1835-1898), a German architect and urban planner who designed several important buildings and urban developments in Berlin during the late 19th century.
In the field of music, the name Fehl is associated with Karl Fehl (1892-1973), a German composer and conductor who was known for his works for orchestra and chamber ensembles.
Moving into the 20th century, Herbert Fehl (1920-2008) was a German-American art historian and scholar who specialized in Renaissance art and architecture.
While the Fehl surname has its origins in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, its earliest recorded instances and most notable bearers can be traced back to its German roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fehl
Among Census respondents with the surname Fehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Fehl 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 Fehl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 671
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 23
- Two or more races2.1% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fehl
Fehl 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
#32,396
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 710
-9 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 1,782 places
2020
#34,389
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 710
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 1,993 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #30,614 | 719 | 0.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #32,396 | 710 | 0.24 | -9 bearers (-1.3%) | Down 1,782 places |
| 2020 | #34,389 | 710 | 0.24 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 1,993 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 Fehl 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 | #32,396 | #34,389 | -6.2% |
| Count | 710 | 710 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.24 | 0.24 | -1.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fehl bearers went from 710 to 710 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 1,993 positions in the national ranking, going from #32,396 to #34,389.
FAQ
Fehl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fehl?
Name Census estimates that about 814 living Americans carry the surname Fehl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 421,074 residents.
How common is Fehl?
Fehl ranks #34,389 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.24 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 710 people with the surname Fehl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (814), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.24 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 Fehl.
Has Fehl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fehl went from 710 recorded bearers to 710. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #32,396 to #34,389.
What does the Census say about the background of Fehl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Fehl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (671 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fehl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Fehl (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 Fehl mean?
A surname likely of German origin meaning "fault" or "defect". 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 Fehl (0.24 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 Fehl?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Fehl on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.