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

Fertig, 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 Fertig surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fertig in America

Fertig is the 16781st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fertig surname appeared 1,702 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Fertig.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fertig 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 Fertig

The surname Fertig has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "fertic," which means "ready" or "prepared." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone who was considered particularly diligent or efficient.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the German city-state of Bremen, dating back to the 14th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Fertich" and "Fertige," reflecting the linguistic variations of the time.

The Fertig name is particularly associated with the regions of Saxony and Silesia, where it was well-established by the 16th century. Notable historical figures with this surname include Johann Fertig (1543-1628), a German theologian and author from Saxony, who wrote several influential works on Protestant theology.

In the 17th century, the Fertig name gained prominence in the town of Reichenbach im Vogtland, located in the modern-day state of Saxony. Records from this period mention a family of successful merchants and landowners bearing the Fertig name, indicating their significant influence in the local community.

Another notable individual was Karl Wilhelm Fertig (1772-1835), a German jurist and legal scholar from Silesia, who served as a judge and published several works on civil law and jurisprudence.

As the name spread across German-speaking regions, it also found its way into other European countries. For instance, in the 19th century, there are records of individuals with the surname Fertig living in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, particularly in the regions of Bohemia and Moravia.

One such figure was Josef Fertig (1835-1916), a Czech-born entrepreneur and industrialist who established a successful textile manufacturing business in the city of Brno, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Throughout its history, the surname Fertig has maintained a strong presence in Germany, with numerous individuals bearing this name making significant contributions across various fields, including academia, law, business, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fertig

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

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

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

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