2000
#4,840
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,652
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.47
Rare Last name
Felts
A surname derived from a place name or from the Old English word "felt," referring to a felt maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,305 Americans carry the last name Felts. That puts it at #5,282 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Felts 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Felts with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.3K
1 in 46,921
Census rank
#5,282
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,370 bearers of the surname Felts in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5282nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Felts, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Felts
The surname Felts is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the counties of Somerset and Dorset, during the medieval period. It derives from the Old English word "felþ," which means a "field" or "pasture." This suggests that the name was likely associated with those who lived near or worked in such areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Felts can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and their estates commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Rodbert de Felta, whose name is thought to be an early variation of the modern surname Felts.
In the 13th century, records show a family named Feltes residing in the village of Feltwell, which is located in Norfolk, England. The place name itself is derived from the Old English words "feld" and "well," meaning "field by a stream." This further reinforces the connection between the surname and its agricultural origins.
One notable individual bearing the surname Felts was Sir John Felts, a prominent English politician who lived during the 16th century (circa 1520-1590). He served as a Member of Parliament for the Borough of Arundel during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another historically significant figure was William Felts (1568-1637), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Norwich from 1619 until his death. He played an active role in the religious and political affairs of his time.
In the 17th century, a notable individual named Thomas Felts (1629-1698) was a successful merchant and landowner in the town of Shepton Mallet, Somerset. His legacy includes the construction of a grand manor house, which still stands today.
Moving forward to the 18th century, we find John Felts (1721-1799), an English author and philosopher who wrote extensively on topics such as ethics and metaphysics. His works were widely read and discussed during the Age of Enlightenment.
Finally, in the 19th century, there was a prominent figure named Samuel Felts (1815-1892), who was a renowned architect and civil engineer. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings and infrastructure projects across England during the Victorian era.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Felts
Among Census respondents with the surname Felts, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Felts 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 Felts surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.5% · 5,509
- Black or African American6.3% · 400
- Two or more races3.7% · 237
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 141
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Felts
Felts 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
#5,267
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,621
-31 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 2.24
Rank movement Down 427 places
2020
#5,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,370
-251 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 2.13
Rank movement Down 15 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,840 | 6,652 | 2.47 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,267 | 6,621 | 2.24 | -31 bearers (-0.5%) | Down 427 places |
| 2020 | #5,282 | 6,370 | 2.13 | -251 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 15 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 Felts 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 | #5,267 | #5,282 | -0.3% |
| Count | 6,621 | 6,370 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.24 | 2.13 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Felts bearers went from 6,621 to 6,370 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 15 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,267 to #5,282.
FAQ
Felts surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Felts?
Name Census estimates that about 7,305 living Americans carry the surname Felts. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,921 residents.
How common is Felts?
Felts ranks #5,282 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,370 people with the surname Felts. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,305), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Felts.
Has Felts become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Felts went from 6,621 recorded bearers to 6,370. That is a decrease of 251 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,267 to #5,282.
What does the Census say about the background of Felts?
Among Census respondents with the surname Felts, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Felts in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (5,509 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Felts appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.5%), Black (6.3%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Felts (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 Felts mean?
A surname derived from a place name or from the Old English word "felt," referring to a felt maker. 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 Felts (2.13 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 Americans have the surname Felts?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.