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

Felber, 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 Felber surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Felber in America

Felber is the 21811th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Felber surname appeared 1,192 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 Felber.

We can also compare 2010 data for Felber 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 Felber

The surname Felber is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Middle High German word "velber," which referred to a type of rocky soil or a cliff. This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname, perhaps referring to someone who lived near or worked with rocky terrain.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Felber can be found in the Würzburger Hofbuch, a court record from the city of Würzburg, Germany, dating back to the 14th century. This document mentions a certain Cuntz Felber, who lived in the region during that time.

In the following centuries, the Felber name appeared in various historical records and documents across different regions of Germany. One notable example is the mention of a Johann Felber from the town of Freiberg, Saxony, in the 16th century.

During the 17th century, the name Felber was also documented in the Principality of Ansbach, located in modern-day Bavaria. A certain Hans Felber, born in 1623, was a prominent citizen of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber during this period.

As the name spread across different regions, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Felber, Fellber, or Felberer. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and customs.

One of the earliest known Felbers to gain significant recognition was Johann Bartholomäus Felber, born in 1695 in Augsburg, Bavaria. He was a renowned painter and engraver, known for his intricate works depicting religious themes.

Another notable figure was Johann Georg Felber, born in 1723 in Regensburg, Bavaria. He was a respected mathematician and astronomer, who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.

In the 19th century, a Felber family from the Black Forest region of Germany gained prominence in the field of glassmaking. Johannes Felber, born in 1810, and his sons established a successful glassworks business that continued for generations.

As people migrated from Germany to other parts of the world, the Felber name also spread to different countries. For example, in the late 19th century, a Felber family settled in the United States, where they established a successful farming business in the Midwest.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Felber

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

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

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

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