2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Fetherson
An occupational surname referring to one who worked with feathers or down.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Fetherson. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fetherson 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Fetherson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fetherson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 71.7%. The next largest groups are White (20.8%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fetherson
The surname Fetherson originated in Scotland during the late medieval period, deriving from the Old English words "feather" and "son," likely denoting an ancestor's profession or physical characteristic. It is believed to have emerged in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly the region of Roxburghshire, where some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found.
One of the earliest known references to the Fetherson surname appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical record of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The entry "Willelmus Fetherson" suggests that the name was already established in Scotland by the late 13th century.
In the 15th century, a notable bearer of the Fetherson name was John Fetherson, a respected merchant and landowner in the town of Jedburgh, located in the Scottish Borders region. Records from the 1460s mention John Fetherson's involvement in local trade and his acquisition of several properties within the town.
During the 16th century, the Fetherson family continued to maintain a presence in the Scottish Borders region, with several members holding positions of influence in local communities. One such individual was Robert Fetherson, born in 1532, who served as a magistrate in the town of Hawick and was known for his contributions to the local judiciary.
As the Fetherson surname spread across Scotland, variations in spelling emerged, including Fethersone, Fethirson, and Featherston. In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the Featherston variation was Sir John Featherston (1616-1688), a Scottish military officer who fought in the English Civil War and later held the position of Governor of Tangier in Morocco.
By the 18th century, the Fetherson surname had also established a presence in other parts of the British Isles, including England and Ireland. One notable bearer was William Fetherson (1738-1817), an Irish writer and philosopher who published several works on ethics and moral philosophy.
Throughout its history, the Fetherson surname has been associated with various professions and social standings, from merchants and landowners to military personnel and scholars. While the name's origins can be traced back to Scotland, its bearers have left their mark across various regions and fields, contributing to the rich tapestry of cultural and historical narratives.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fetherson
Among Census respondents with the surname Fetherson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 71.7%. The next largest groups are White (20.8%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Fetherson 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 Fetherson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American71.7% · 76
- White20.8% · 22
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fetherson
Fetherson 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
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+5 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,373 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+5.0%) | Up 7,373 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 Fetherson 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 | #159,712 | #152,339 | 4.6% |
| Count | 101 | 106 | 5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fetherson bearers went from 101 to 106 (+5.0% change). The surname moved up 7,373 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #152,339.
FAQ
Fetherson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fetherson?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Fetherson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Fetherson?
Fetherson ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Fetherson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Fetherson.
Has Fetherson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fetherson went from 101 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 5 (+5.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Fetherson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fetherson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 71.7%. The next largest groups are White (20.8%) and Hispanic (4.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Fetherson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.7% (76 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fetherson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (71.7%), White (20.8%), Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Fetherson (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 Fetherson mean?
An occupational surname referring to one who worked with feathers or down. 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 Fetherson (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 Americans have the surname Fetherson?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.