2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ferschweiler
A surname of German origin possibly referring to someone from a place called Ferschweiler.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Ferschweiler. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ferschweiler 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Ferschweiler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferschweiler, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ferschweiler
The surname FERSCHWEILER originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is a locational surname derived from the village of Ferschweiler, located in the Eifel region of Rhineland-Palatinate. The name is believed to have its roots in the Old German words "Fersch" and "Weiler," meaning "meadow" and "small village," respectively.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname FERSCHWEILER can be found in the Cologne Cathedral archives, where a document from 1387 mentions a certain Henne Ferschweiler. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the 14th century.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure bearing the FERSCHWEILER name was Johann Ferschweiler (1525-1598), a Catholic priest and theologian from Trier. He was known for his contributions to the field of canon law and his involvement in the Counter-Reformation.
Another notable individual with the FERSCHWEILER surname was Hans Ferschweiler (1670-1742), a German artist and painter from Cologne. His works, primarily depicting religious scenes and portraits, can still be found in various churches and museums in the Rhineland region.
During the 18th century, the FERSCHWEILER name appears in records related to the Prussian military. A certain Friedrich Ferschweiler (1735-1803) was a Prussian officer who served in the Seven Years' War and later became a prominent landowner in the Eifel region.
In the 19th century, the FERSCHWEILER surname gained recognition in the field of education. Karl Ferschweiler (1818-1892), a native of Ferschweiler, was a renowned educator and author who wrote several influential textbooks on mathematics and science.
Another noteworthy individual from this period was Maria Ferschweiler (1852-1914), a German nun and educator who founded several schools and orphanages in the Rhineland region. Her contributions to the education of underprivileged children earned her widespread respect and admiration.
While the FERSCHWEILER surname remains relatively uncommon outside of Germany, it holds a rich history and connection to the Eifel region, where it originated centuries ago.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ferschweiler
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferschweiler, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ferschweiler 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 Ferschweiler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.0% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino13.0% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ferschweiler
Ferschweiler appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,972 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 3,972 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 Ferschweiler 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 | #154,907 | #150,935 | 2.6% |
| Count | 105 | 108 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ferschweiler bearers went from 105 to 108 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 3,972 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #150,935.
FAQ
Ferschweiler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ferschweiler?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Ferschweiler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Ferschweiler?
Ferschweiler ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Ferschweiler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ferschweiler.
Has Ferschweiler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ferschweiler went from 105 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 3 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Ferschweiler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferschweiler, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.0%). 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 Ferschweiler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ferschweiler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.0%), Hispanic (13.0%). 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 Ferschweiler (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 Ferschweiler mean?
A surname of German origin possibly referring to someone from a place called Ferschweiler. 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 Ferschweiler (0.04 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 people are called Ferschweiler?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Ferschweiler is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.