2000
#12,638
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,247
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Feltman
An occupational surname referring to a maker of felt, a type of fabric made from matted fibers.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,331 Americans carry the last name Feltman. That puts it at #14,176 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 147,042 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Feltman 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
2.3K
1 in 147,042
Census rank
#14,176
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,033 bearers of the surname Feltman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14176th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Feltman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Feltman
The surname Feltman is derived from the Old English words "felter" and "mann," which together mean "felt maker" or "worker of felt." This occupational surname originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in areas where the production of felt was a significant trade or industry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Feltman surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire, dated 1297, where a certain John Feltman was listed as a taxpayer. This suggests that the name was already well-established in that region by the late 13th century.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Feltemaker, Feltmonger, and Feltmongere, reflecting the variety of spellings common during that era. One notable example is found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, where a Richard Feltmongere was mentioned in 1348.
During the 16th century, the Feltman surname began to spread beyond its original Yorkshire stronghold. In the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1568, a Thomas Feltman was recorded as a resident of Ipswich.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Feltman surname was William Feltman, who was born in Leicestershire in 1588. He later became a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London.
Another historical figure with the Feltman surname was John Feltman, a renowned clockmaker who lived in London during the late 17th century. His skillfully crafted timepieces were highly sought after by the aristocracy and wealthy merchants of the time.
In the 18th century, the Feltman surname gained recognition through the work of Samuel Feltman, a prominent architect who designed several notable buildings in Bath, including the iconic Assembly Rooms completed in 1771.
As the Industrial Revolution took hold in the 19th century, the Feltman surname became associated with the textile industry. One notable bearer was James Feltman, born in Lancashire in 1812, who established a successful felt manufacturing company that employed hundreds of workers.
Throughout its history, the Feltman surname has been linked to various place names and locations, such as Feltmongers Lane in London, which was once home to many felt makers, and the village of Feltman in Gloucestershire, which may have derived its name from early Feltman settlers in the area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Feltman
Among Census respondents with the surname Feltman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Feltman 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 Feltman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 1,894
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 59
- Two or more races2.6% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 10
- Black or African American0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Feltman
Feltman 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
#12,953
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,371
+124 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 315 places
2020
#14,176
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,033
-338 bearers (-14.3%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 1,223 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,638 | 2,247 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,953 | 2,371 | 0.80 | +124 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 315 places |
| 2020 | #14,176 | 2,033 | 0.68 | -338 bearers (-14.3%) | Down 1,223 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 Feltman 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 | #12,953 | #14,176 | -9.4% |
| Count | 2,371 | 2,033 | -14.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 0.68 | -15.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Feltman bearers went from 2,371 to 2,033 (-14.3% change). The surname moved down 1,223 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,953 to #14,176.
FAQ
Feltman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Feltman?
Name Census estimates that about 2,331 living Americans carry the surname Feltman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 147,042 residents.
How common is Feltman?
Feltman ranks #14,176 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 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 2,033 people with the surname Feltman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,331), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 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 Feltman.
Has Feltman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Feltman went from 2,371 recorded bearers to 2,033. That is a decrease of 338 (-14.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,953 to #14,176.
What does the Census say about the background of Feltman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Feltman, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Feltman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (1,894 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Feltman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Hispanic (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Feltman (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 Feltman mean?
An occupational surname referring to a maker of felt, a type of fabric made from matted fibers. 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 Feltman (0.68 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 common is the surname Feltman?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Feltman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.