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

Feltner, 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 Feltner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Feltner in America

Feltner is the 9710th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Feltner surname appeared 3,341 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Feltner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Feltner 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.

The history of the last name Feltner

The surname Feltner originated in Germany during the 13th century. It is derived from the Old High German word "feltsari," which means "worker in felt." This suggests that the name's earliest bearers were likely involved in the production or trade of felt, a textile material made from matted fiber.

The Feltner name first appeared in records from the region of Bavaria, where it was often spelled as "Feltner" or "Feltnor." In the late 15th century, the name was documented in the town of Nuremberg, where a Feltner family operated a feltmaking business.

One of the earliest known references to the Feltner name is in the Nuremberg Chronicle, a famous illustrated world history book published in 1493. The book includes a woodcut depicting a feltmaker at work, suggesting that the Feltner surname was well-established in the region by that time.

In the 16th century, the Feltner family expanded their feltmaking business and established branches in other parts of Germany, including Saxony and Thuringia. This led to the name being recorded in various spellings, such as "Feltnair," "Feltnar," and "Felthner."

Hans Feltner (1510-1572), a renowned feltmaker from Nuremberg, is considered one of the most notable early bearers of the name. He is credited with introducing innovative techniques in feltmaking, which helped improve the quality and durability of the material.

Another notable Feltner was Johannes Feltner (1635-1701), a Lutheran theologian and author from Saxony. He wrote several influential works on theology and philosophy, contributing to the intellectual discourse of his time.

In the 18th century, members of the Feltner family began migrating to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in the United States is Johann Feltner (1720-1798), who settled in Pennsylvania after emigrating from Germany.

Over the centuries, the Feltner name has been associated with various professions and fields beyond feltmaking, including academia, medicine, and politics. For instance, Carl Feltner (1839-1919) was a prominent German-American physician and surgeon who made significant contributions to the field of ophthalmology.

Despite its German origins, the Feltner surname can also be found in other countries, such as Switzerland, Austria, and the Netherlands, likely due to migration and intermarriage with other families over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Feltner

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

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 Feltner was:

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

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

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

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