2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Feldsher
A surname derived from the German word meaning "field medic" or "military medical assistant".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Feldsher. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Feldsher 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Feldsher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Feldsher, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Feldsher
The surname Feldsher originated in Russia during the 19th century. It is derived from the Russian word "feldsher," which means "barber-surgeon" or "paramedic." The name was originally given to those who worked in the medical field as feldshers, providing basic medical care and minor surgical procedures, particularly in rural areas.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Feldsher can be traced back to the late 1700s in various Russian archives and documents. It is believed to have initially emerged in the regions of Moscow and St. Petersburg, where the profession of feldsher was more prevalent.
One of the earliest known references to the name Feldsher comes from the Russian military records of the Napoleonic Wars. Several individuals with this surname served as feldshers in the Russian army, providing medical assistance to soldiers on the battlefield.
During the 19th century, the surname Feldsher became more widespread across the Russian Empire. Notable individuals bearing this name include Pyotr Feldsher (1812-1891), a prominent feldsher who pioneered the use of ether as an anesthetic during surgical procedures in Russia.
Another notable figure was Ivan Feldsher (1835-1907), a renowned feldsher and author who published several medical textbooks and manuals on basic healthcare practices for rural communities.
As the Russian Empire expanded, the surname Feldsher also spread to other regions, such as Ukraine and Belarus. In the late 19th century, a family of Feldshers settled in the city of Odesa, where they established a successful medical practice.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Feldsher was Nikolai Feldsher (1875-1947), a celebrated playwright and writer from Odesa. His works often depicted the lives and struggles of the working class, including feldshers and other medical professionals.
During the 20th century, the surname Feldsher continued to be associated with the medical profession in Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union. However, with the modernization of healthcare systems and the emergence of more specialized medical roles, the traditional role of the feldsher gradually diminished.
Despite its historical significance, the surname Feldsher remains relatively uncommon outside of Russia and the former Soviet republics. Nevertheless, it serves as a testament to the important role that feldshers played in providing basic medical care to rural communities throughout the Russian Empire.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Feldsher
Among Census respondents with the surname Feldsher, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Feldsher 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 Feldsher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 112
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Feldsher
Feldsher 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,861 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,207 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 7,861 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 5,207 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 Feldsher 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 | #138,304 | #143,511 | -3.8% |
| Count | 121 | 118 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Feldsher bearers went from 121 to 118 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 5,207 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #143,511.
FAQ
Feldsher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Feldsher?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Feldsher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Feldsher?
Feldsher ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 118 people with the surname Feldsher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Feldsher.
Has Feldsher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Feldsher went from 121 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Feldsher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Feldsher, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.7%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Feldsher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Feldsher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Two or More Races (1.7%), Black (0.8%). 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 Feldsher (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 Feldsher mean?
A surname derived from the German word meaning "field medic" or "military medical assistant". 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 Feldsher (0.04 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 people have the last name Feldsher?
You can see how many people are called Feldsher on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.