Felder last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Felder

An occupational surname for a person who worked or lived in fields or open country.

Felder, 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 Felder surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Felder in America

Felder is the 2714th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Felder surname appeared 13,257 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Felder.

We can also compare 2010 data for Felder 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 2714 2767 -1.93%
Count 13,257 11,976 10.15%
Proportion per 100k 4.49 4.44 1.12%

The history of the last name Felder

The surname Felder is believed to have originated in Germany, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "velt," which means "field" or "open land." This suggests that the name initially referred to someone who lived or worked in a field or open area.

One of the earliest known references to the name Felder can be found in a manuscript from the year 1274, which mentions a person named "Henricus de Veldere." This suggests that the name was already in use during that time period and may have been associated with a specific location or region.

Over time, the name Felder underwent various spelling variations, such as Veldere, Feldere, and Felter, reflecting the linguistic and regional differences across different parts of Germany. Some of these variations may have also been influenced by the introduction of surnames in different areas at different times.

During the Middle Ages, the name Felder appeared in various records and documents throughout Germany. For example, in the 14th century, there are records of a family named Felder residing in the town of Ulm, located in the southern part of the country.

One notable individual with the surname Felder was Johann Caspar Felder, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1626 to 1691. He is known for his religious paintings and engravings, many of which can be found in churches and museums throughout Germany.

Another historically significant figure with the name Felder was Friedrich Ernst Felder, a German military officer who served in the Prussian Army during the 18th century. He was born in 1735 and played a significant role in the Silesian Wars, a series of conflicts between Prussia and Austria over the territory of Silesia.

In the 19th century, Carl Felder, a German architect and urban planner, made significant contributions to the development of several cities in Germany, including Berlin and Hamburg. He was born in 1818 and is particularly known for his work on public housing projects and urban infrastructure.

Another noteworthy individual with the surname Felder was Franz Felder, a German botanist and plant collector who lived from 1839 to 1869. He conducted extensive research on the flora of various regions in Europe and made significant contributions to the field of botany.

The name Felder has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany, such as Felderbach, a town in the state of Baden-Württemberg, and Felderstadt, a district in the city of Nuremberg. These place names may have influenced the development and spread of the surname over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Felder

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

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 Felder was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 27.25% 3,613
Non-Hispanic Black Only 66.91% 8,870
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.35% 46
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.31% 41
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.95% 391
Hispanic Origin 2.23% 296

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 Felder has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 27.25% 28.62% -4.90%
Black 66.91% 67.31% -0.60%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.35% 0.19% 59.26%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.31% 0.23% 29.63%
Two or More Races 2.95% 2.09% 34.13%
Hispanic 2.23% 1.56% 35.36%

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

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

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"Felder last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 26, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/felder-surname-popularity/.

"Felder last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/felder-surname-popularity/. Accessed 26 July, 2024

Felder last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/felder-surname-popularity/.

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