2000
#81,414
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 216
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Feigl
A German locational surname referring to someone from a place named Voegl or Vogl.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 227 Americans carry the last name Feigl. That puts it at #98,131 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,509,931 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Feigl 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
227
1 in 1,509,931
Census rank
#98,131
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
198
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 198 bearers of the surname Feigl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 98131st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Feigl, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Feigl
The surname Feigl is of German origin and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is derived from the German word "Feige," meaning "fig," which suggests that the name was initially an occupational name for a fig farmer or merchant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Feigl dates back to 1387, when a Johann Feigl was mentioned in the records of the town of Nuremberg, Germany. The name was also found in other regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony, during the same period.
In the 16th century, the name Feigl appeared in various historical records, including the Kirchenbücher (church books) of several German towns. For example, a Caspar Feigl was born in Hof, Bavaria, in 1568, and a Hans Feigl was recorded in the town of Zwickau, Saxony, in 1597.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Feigl continued to be prevalent in Germany, with several notable individuals bearing the surname. One such person was Johann Georg Feigl (1637-1705), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg.
In the 19th century, the name Feigl spread to other parts of Europe, particularly Austria. One of the most famous individuals with this surname was the Austrian psychologist and philosopher Viktor Feigl (1908-1988), who was a prominent figure in the Vienna Circle and contributed significantly to the field of logical positivism.
Another notable bearer of the name Feigl was the Austrian-American chemist and crystallographer Herbert Feigl (1905-1988), who made significant contributions to analytical chemistry and the development of spot tests.
Other individuals with the surname Feigl include the German composer and pianist Adolf Feigl (1856-1926), the Austrian sculptor and medallist Josef Feigl (1868-1937), and the German writer and journalist Gottfried Feigl (1926-2003).
Overall, the surname Feigl has a rich history rooted in German culture, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 14th century. While the name originated as an occupational name for fig farmers or merchants, it has since been borne by individuals from various professions, including musicians, artists, writers, and scholars.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Feigl
Among Census respondents with the surname Feigl, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Feigl 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 Feigl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.0% · 192
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Feigl
Feigl 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
#82,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 227
+11 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 1,494 places
2020
#98,131
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 198
-29 bearers (-12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 15,223 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #81,414 | 216 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #82,908 | 227 | 0.08 | +11 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 1,494 places |
| 2020 | #98,131 | 198 | 0.07 | -29 bearers (-12.8%) | Down 15,223 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 Feigl 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 | #82,908 | #98,131 | -18.4% |
| Count | 227 | 198 | -12.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.07 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Feigl bearers went from 227 to 198 (-12.8% change). The surname moved down 15,223 positions in the national ranking, going from #82,908 to #98,131.
FAQ
Feigl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Feigl?
Name Census estimates that about 227 living Americans carry the surname Feigl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,509,931 residents.
How common is Feigl?
Feigl ranks #98,131 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 198 people with the surname Feigl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (227), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Feigl.
Has Feigl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Feigl went from 227 recorded bearers to 198. That is a decrease of 29 (-12.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #82,908 to #98,131.
What does the Census say about the background of Feigl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Feigl, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%). 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 Feigl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.0% (192 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Feigl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.0%), Hispanic (2.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%). 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 Feigl (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 Feigl mean?
A German locational surname referring to someone from a place named Voegl or Vogl. 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 Feigl (0.07 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 Feigl?
You can see how many people have the surname Feigl on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.