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

Feit, 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 Feit surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Feit in America

Feit is the 30442nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Feit surname appeared 767 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 Feit.

We can also compare 2010 data for Feit 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 Feit

The surname FEIT is of German origin, originating in the Middle Ages around the 12th or 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old German word "feito," which means "fat" or "plump." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone of a stout or robust build.

The earliest recorded instances of the FEIT surname can be traced back to various regions of Germany, such as Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. It is likely that the name emerged independently in different areas, as it was common for descriptive nicknames to arise organically in various local communities.

One of the first known bearers of the FEIT surname was Hans Feit, a merchant and landowner who lived in the city of Nuremberg, Germany, in the late 15th century. Records from the time mention his involvement in local trade and land transactions.

In the 16th century, the FEIT name appeared in several historical documents, including the Kirchenbücher (church records) of various German towns and villages. For instance, the baptismal records of St. Peter's Church in Cologne, Germany, list the birth of Johann Feit in 1567.

As the FEIT surname spread across German-speaking regions, it also underwent minor spelling variations, such as Feitt, Feyt, and Feith. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and scribal practices.

One notable bearer of the FEIT surname was Johann Georg Feit, a renowned German composer and organist who lived from 1679 to 1734. He served as the Kapellmeister (chapel master) at the court of the Elector of Saxony and composed numerous sacred works and instrumental pieces.

Another individual of historical significance was Friedrich Wilhelm Feit, a German military officer born in 1792. He fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later served as a general in the Prussian army, earning several decorations for his service.

In the 19th century, the FEIT surname gained prominence in the field of academia. One such example is Karl Feit, a German philologist and scholar born in 1818, who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek and Latin texts.

As German emigrants began to settle in other parts of the world, the FEIT surname spread to various countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia. However, the name's origins and historical roots can be traced back to its Germanic beginnings in the Middle Ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Feit

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

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

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

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