2000
#7,402
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,151
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.54
Rare Last name
Felker
One who prepares or deals in animal hides, particularly a furrier or pelt trader.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,461 Americans carry the last name Felker. That puts it at #8,147 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 76,834 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Felker 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
4.5K
1 in 76,834
Census rank
#8,147
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,890 bearers of the surname Felker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8147th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Felker, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Felker
The surname Felker is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. The name is believed to have derived from the German word "Felker," which referred to a worker in a quarry or a stone mason. This occupation was prevalent in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony during the 12th and 13th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Rottweil Records of 1330, where a certain Henrich Felker was mentioned as a resident of the town. Another notable entry is in the Niederstetten Church Records of 1472, which lists a Wilhelm Felker as a stonemason.
In the 16th century, the Felker family expanded their presence across various parts of Germany, with some members migrating to neighboring regions such as Switzerland and Austria. During this period, the name underwent minor variations in spelling, including Felcker and Felkner.
The name gained prominence in the 17th century when Johann Felker (1612-1687), a renowned architect, designed several churches and public buildings in the city of Nuremberg. His son, Hans Felker (1642-1718), followed in his footsteps and became a celebrated sculptor, known for his intricate works adorning various cathedrals across southern Germany.
As the Felker family continued to flourish, they left their mark in various fields. Notable individuals include Friedrich Felker (1793-1867), a prominent philosopher and author who wrote extensively on ethics and morality, and Karl Felker (1845-1919), a renowned military strategist who served in the Prussian army during the Franco-Prussian War.
One of the most famous bearers of the name was Anna Felker (1879-1958), a celebrated opera singer who performed at the prestigious Bayreuth Festival Theater for over two decades. Her powerful soprano voice and captivating stage presence earned her widespread acclaim across Europe.
While the Felker surname originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and intermarriage. However, its roots remain firmly grounded in the rich cultural and occupational history of the German regions where it first emerged.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Felker
Among Census respondents with the surname Felker, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Felker 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 Felker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 3,555
- Two or more races3.1% · 120
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 99
- Black or African American1.8% · 71
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Felker
Felker 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
#8,046
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,113
-38 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Down 644 places
2020
#8,147
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,890
-223 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Down 101 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,402 | 4,151 | 1.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,046 | 4,113 | 1.39 | -38 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 644 places |
| 2020 | #8,147 | 3,890 | 1.30 | -223 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 101 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 Felker 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 | #8,046 | #8,147 | -1.3% |
| Count | 4,113 | 3,890 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.39 | 1.30 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Felker bearers went from 4,113 to 3,890 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 101 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,046 to #8,147.
FAQ
Felker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Felker?
Name Census estimates that about 4,461 living Americans carry the surname Felker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 76,834 residents.
How common is Felker?
Felker ranks #8,147 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.30 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,890 people with the surname Felker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,461), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.30 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Felker.
Has Felker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Felker went from 4,113 recorded bearers to 3,890. That is a decrease of 223 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,046 to #8,147.
What does the Census say about the background of Felker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Felker, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Felker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (3,555 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Felker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Felker (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 Felker mean?
One who prepares or deals in animal hides, particularly a furrier or pelt trader. 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 Felker (1.30 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 Felker?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Felker at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.