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

Feiss, 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 Feiss surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Feiss in America

Feiss is the 101737th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Feiss surname appeared 177 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 Feiss.

We can also compare 2010 data for Feiss 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 Feiss

The surname FEISS is of German origin and dates back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the German word "feist," which means plump or well-fed, suggesting that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone of a stocky build.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various church records and tax rolls from the southern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. One of the earliest documented uses of the name was in a baptismal record from 1524 in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where a child named Hans Feiss was recorded.

In the 17th century, the name FEISS appeared in several historical documents, including the chronicles of the town of Nürnberg, where a merchant named Johann Feiss was mentioned as a prominent figure in the city's trade guilds around 1650.

As the name spread across different regions of Germany, variations in spelling emerged, such as Feisst, Feyst, and Feisz. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.

One notable individual bearing the name FEISS was Carl Feiss, a German painter and engraver born in 1765 in Darmstadt. He is known for his intricate etchings and engravings depicting landscapes and architectural scenes from his travels across Europe.

Another prominent figure was Wilhelm Feiss, a German politician and lawyer born in 1822 in Aschaffenburg. He served as a member of the Reichstag, the parliament of the German Empire, from 1871 to 1874, representing the National Liberal Party.

In the 19th century, the name FEISS also appeared in historical records from other parts of Europe, including Austria and Switzerland, likely due to migration and trade connections with Germany. One notable example is Johann Feiss, an Austrian architect born in 1802 in Vienna, who is credited with designing several notable buildings in the city, including the Palais Todesco.

While the name FEISS has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration, particularly to North America and other English-speaking countries. However, its origins can be traced back to the early modern period in southern Germany, where it emerged as a descriptive surname reflecting the physical appearance or stature of its original bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Feiss

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

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

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

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