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

Felton, 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 Felton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Felton in America

Felton is the 2266th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Felton surname appeared 16,044 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Felton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Felton 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 Felton

The surname Felton has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the place name Felton, which is found in several counties across England, including Northumberland, Shropshire, and Somerset.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Felton surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and properties in England compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Feltun" and "Feletun," referring to individuals or families residing in the respective Felton villages.

The etymology of the name Felton can be traced back to the Old English words "feld" and "tun," which together mean "farmstead or village in an open field." This suggests that the original bearers of the surname may have hailed from agricultural communities situated in clearings or open fields.

Notable individuals with the surname Felton include Sir John Felton (c. 1490-1545), an English courtier and soldier during the reign of Henry VIII, who was involved in the downfall and execution of Anne Boleyn. Another prominent figure was Thomas Felton (1567-1628), an English Puritan minister and theologian who played a role in the establishment of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in America.

In the realm of literature, Henry Felton was a character in Sir Walter Scott's novel "Woodstock," published in 1826. The novel is set during the English Civil War and explores the complex relationships and loyalties of the era.

John Felton (1595-1628) was an English soldier who gained notoriety for assassinating George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, a prominent figure in the court of King Charles I. His act of regicide sparked a political and religious controversy in 17th-century England.

Another notable individual bearing the Felton surname was John Felton (1613-1690), an English writer and pamphleteer who was a vocal critic of the Stuart monarchy and a supporter of the Parliamentarian cause during the English Civil War.

These examples illustrate the long and varied history of the Felton surname, spanning across different periods and fields, from military and political figures to religious leaders and literary characters, all contributing to the rich tapestry of this English locational name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Felton

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

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

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

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