2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Feldscher
A German occupational surname denoting a field doctor or medic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Feldscher. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Feldscher surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Feldscher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Feldscher, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Feldscher
The surname "FELDSCHER" is of German origin, originating in the late 16th or early 17th century. It is derived from the German word "Feldscher," which means "army surgeon" or "field medic." The name likely originated as an occupational surname for someone who served as a medical practitioner in a military or battlefield setting.
In the medieval and early modern periods, medical personnel accompanying armies on campaigns were known as "Feldschers." These individuals were responsible for providing basic medical care, treating wounds, and attending to the health needs of soldiers on the battlefield or in field hospitals. The surname "FELDSCHER" would have been given to individuals or families whose members held this occupation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "FELDSCHER" can be found in the records of the city of Augsburg, Germany, dating back to the late 16th century. A man named Hans Feldscher is mentioned in a document from 1592, indicating the presence of this surname in the region during that time.
Another notable individual bearing the surname "FELDSCHER" was Johann Christoph Feldscher (1690-1761), a German physician and botanist from Saxony. He authored several works on medicinal plants and their uses in treating various ailments.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Friedrich Wilhelm Feldscher (1725-1803) served as a court physician to the Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst in Germany. He was renowned for his medical expertise and contributions to the field of medicine during his time.
During the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century, a German military surgeon named Karl August Feldscher (1778-1842) gained recognition for his service as a field medic in several campaigns. His experiences and accounts of treating soldiers on the battlefield provided valuable insights into the challenges faced by medical personnel in wartime conditions.
Another notable individual with the surname "FELDSCHER" was Gottfried Feldscher (1802-1878), a German botanist and naturalist from Saxony. He made significant contributions to the study and classification of plant species in his region and published several works on the subject.
While the surname "FELDSCHER" is relatively uncommon today, it has a rich historical background rooted in the medical profession and military service, particularly in German-speaking regions. The name serves as a reminder of the important role played by army surgeons and field medics throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Feldscher
Among Census respondents with the surname Feldscher, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Feldscher bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Feldscher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.0% · 96
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Feldscher
Feldscher appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-22 bearers (-16.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 28,017 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-12 bearers (-10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 7,658 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -22 bearers (-16.5%) | Down 28,017 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.8%) | Down 7,658 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Feldscher surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #148,347 | #156,005 | -5.2% |
| Count | 111 | 99 | -10.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Feldscher bearers went from 111 to 99 (-10.8% change). The surname moved down 7,658 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #156,005.
FAQ
Feldscher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Feldscher?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Feldscher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Feldscher?
Feldscher ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 99 people with the surname Feldscher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Feldscher.
Has Feldscher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Feldscher went from 111 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Feldscher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Feldscher, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%) and Black (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Feldscher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.0% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Feldscher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.0%), Two or More Races (2.0%), Black (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Feldscher (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Feldscher mean?
A German occupational surname denoting a field doctor or medic. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Feldscher (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Feldscher?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.