2000
#12,976
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,166
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.80
Rare Last name
Ferber
An occupational surname for a dyer or painter, derived from the German word "Färber" meaning "dyer."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,348 Americans carry the last name Ferber. That puts it at #14,076 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 145,977 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ferber 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 145,977
Census rank
#14,076
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,048 bearers of the surname Ferber in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14076th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferber, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ferber
The surname Ferber has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Färber," which means "dyer" or "painter," referring to an occupation or trade within the textile industry. The name was likely adopted by individuals or families who worked as dyers or painters of fabrics or other materials.
The earliest recorded instances of the Ferber surname can be found in various historical documents from regions in present-day Germany and Austria. One notable mention is in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of charters and documents from the 12th to the 15th centuries, where the name appears as "Ferbere" in an entry dated 1375.
In the 16th century, the surname Ferber was prevalent in the city of Nuremberg, located in the Franconian region of Germany. Several prominent individuals bore this surname, including Hans Ferber, a renowned painter and engraver who lived from 1545 to 1614. His works, which included religious scenes and portraits, were highly regarded during his lifetime and are still studied by art historians today.
Another notable figure from this period was Johann Ferber, a German scholar and writer who lived from 1580 to 1655. He was known for his contributions to the field of theology and authored several influential texts on religious and philosophical subjects.
As the Ferber surname spread across Europe, it also found its way into various records and historical documents. In the 17th century, the name appeared in the parish registers of the town of Wittenberg, which was at the heart of the Protestant Reformation. One such entry, dated 1623, mentions a certain Martin Ferber, whose occupation is listed as a dyer.
In the 18th century, the Ferber surname gained prominence in the field of natural sciences. Johann Jakob Ferber, born in 1743 and died in 1790, was a German mineralogist and geologist who made significant contributions to the study of minerals and rocks. His extensive travels and observations led to the publication of several important works, including "Letters from the Mines" and "Mineral-Historical Observations on the Oberpfalz and Regensburg."
Another notable figure from this era was Christian Ferber, a German mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1710 to 1768. He is best known for his work on calculating the orbit of the planet Uranus, which had been recently discovered during his lifetime.
The Ferber surname continued to be represented across various fields and disciplines throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, with individuals making their mark in areas such as literature, music, and academia. However, the most detailed historical records and references relating to the origins and significance of this surname can be found in the earlier centuries, as mentioned above.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ferber
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferber, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Ferber 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 Ferber surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 1,851
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 84
- Two or more races3.2% · 65
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 38
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ferber
Ferber 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
#13,850
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,182
+16 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 874 places
2020
#14,076
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,048
-134 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 226 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,976 | 2,166 | 0.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,850 | 2,182 | 0.74 | +16 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 874 places |
| 2020 | #14,076 | 2,048 | 0.69 | -134 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 226 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 Ferber 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 | #13,850 | #14,076 | -1.6% |
| Count | 2,182 | 2,048 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.69 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ferber bearers went from 2,182 to 2,048 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 226 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,850 to #14,076.
FAQ
Ferber surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ferber?
Name Census estimates that about 2,348 living Americans carry the surname Ferber. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 145,977 residents.
How common is Ferber?
Ferber ranks #14,076 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 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 2,048 people with the surname Ferber. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,348), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 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 Ferber.
Has Ferber become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ferber went from 2,182 recorded bearers to 2,048. That is a decrease of 134 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,850 to #14,076.
What does the Census say about the background of Ferber?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferber, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Ferber in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (1,851 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ferber appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Ferber (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 Ferber mean?
An occupational surname for a dyer or painter, derived from the German word "Färber" meaning "dyer." 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 Ferber (0.69 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 Ferber?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.