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

Fernbach, 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 Fernbach surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fernbach in America

Fernbach is the 88020th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fernbach surname appeared 211 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Fernbach.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fernbach 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 Fernbach

The surname Fernbach is of German origin, with its earliest recorded examples dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German words "farn" meaning "fern" and "bach" meaning "stream" or "brook". The name likely originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived near a stream or brook where ferns grew abundantly.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Fernbach, a farmer who lived in the village of Schönau, near the town of Heidelberg, in the early 1500s. Records show that he owned a plot of land near a small stream, which may have contributed to the formation of his surname.

In the late 16th century, the Fernbach name appears in various church records and tax registers in the regions of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, indicating the family's presence in these areas during that time period.

A notable figure bearing the Fernbach surname was Johann Adam Fernbach (1680-1758), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg. He authored several works on theology and ethics, including "Institutiones Theologiae Moralis" (1720) and "Introductio in Theologiam Universam" (1734).

Another prominent individual with this surname was Friedrich Fernbach (1790-1868), a German politician and jurist who served as the Minister of Justice for the Grand Duchy of Baden from 1832 to 1849. He played a significant role in the legal reforms of the time and worked towards the modernization of the judiciary system.

In the 19th century, the Fernbach name can be found in various historical records, such as the 1841 census of the Grand Duchy of Baden, where several families with this surname are listed as residing in various towns and villages.

One of the earliest known instances of the Fernbach name being associated with a place name is the village of Fernbach, located in the district of Mühldorf am Inn in Bavaria, Germany. This village likely derived its name from the nearby stream or brook surrounded by ferns, further reinforcing the etymological connection between the surname and its natural surroundings.

Over the centuries, the Fernbach surname has been subject to various spelling variations, including Fernbacher, Fernbachs, and Fernbacch, reflecting the regional and linguistic influences of different areas where the name was prevalent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fernbach

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

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

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

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