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

Fein, 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 Fein surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fein in America

Fein is the 12971st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fein surname appeared 2,367 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Fein.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fein 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 Fein

The surname "FEIN" is of German origin, derived from the Old High German word "fini" or "fin," which means "fine" or "thin." The name first appeared in the 8th century in the region of Bavaria, in southern Germany.

The earliest recorded instance of the name "FEIN" can be found in the Codex Traditionum Monasterii Raittenbuch, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 11th century. The document mentions a certain "Adelpertus Fein" who lived in the village of Raitenhaslach, near the town of Burghausen.

During the Middle Ages, the surname "FEIN" was often associated with skilled craftsmen, particularly those involved in the production of fine textiles or metalwork. The name may have been used to describe someone with a talent for intricate or delicate work.

One notable figure bearing the name "FEIN" was Johann Fein (1480-1542), a German goldsmith and engraver who worked in Nuremberg during the Renaissance period. His intricate engravings and metalwork were highly sought after by the nobility and wealthy patrons of the time.

In the 17th century, the name "FEIN" appeared in the records of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval town in Bavaria. A certain Hans Fein (1612-1678) was a respected baker and member of the town council.

Another historical figure with the surname "FEIN" was Friedrich Fein (1730-1801), a German writer and philosopher from Saxony. He was known for his works on ethics and moral philosophy, which were influential during the Enlightenment period.

In the 19th century, the name "FEIN" was also found in the records of the town of Freiburg im Breisgau, located in the Black Forest region of Germany. A certain Karl Fein (1819-1887) was a prominent businessman and landowner in the area.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname "FEIN" was the German physicist and Nobel laureate, Isidor Isaac Rabi (1898-1988), whose original surname was "FEIN." He was born in Galicia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but his family later changed their surname to "Rabi" upon immigrating to the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fein

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

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 Fein 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 Fein 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 Fein was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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