2000
#7,440
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.53
Rare Last name
Fetters
A surname derived from the Old English word for shackles or restraints, likely referring to an ironworker or jailer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,605 Americans carry the last name Fetters. That puts it at #7,926 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 74,431 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fetters 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
4.6K
1 in 74,431
Census rank
#7,926
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,016 bearers of the surname Fetters in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7926th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fetters, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fetters
The surname Fetters is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "fet(t)ere," which means "fetter" or "chain." The name likely originated in the 12th or 13th century, referring to an individual who worked as a maker or seller of fetters, which were shackles or chains used to restrain prisoners or slaves.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Fetters can be found in various medieval records and documents from England. One notable example is the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mention a "Willelmus le Fettere." This suggests that the name was already in use by the early 14th century.
In the 15th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as "Fettour," "Fettyr," and "Fetter," reflecting the evolving spelling and pronunciation over time. One notable individual from this period was John Fetters, a wealthy merchant from London, who lived around 1450.
By the 16th century, the surname had solidified into its modern spelling, "Fetters." Records from this era include a baptismal entry for "Marye Fetters" in the parish records of St. Dunstan's, Stepney, London, in 1586.
In the 17th century, the surname Fetters continued to be found throughout England, particularly in the counties of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. One notable individual from this period was William Fetters (1615-1690), a Puritan clergyman and author from Warwickshire.
The 18th century saw the surname spread further across England and into other parts of the British Isles. One notable figure was Sir John Fetters (1725-1802), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for the borough of Bridgwater in Somerset.
In the 19th century, the surname Fetters began to appear in various parts of the world as English emigrants and settlers carried the name with them. One notable individual from this era was James Fetters (1808-1891), an American businessman and politician who served as the 11th Lieutenant Governor of Indiana.
Throughout its history, the surname Fetters has been associated with various occupations, from craftsmen and merchants to clergymen, landowners, and political figures. While not a particularly common surname, it has maintained a presence in various parts of the world, reflecting the rich and diverse history of this English surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fetters
Among Census respondents with the surname Fetters, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Fetters 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 Fetters surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 3,682
- Two or more races3.9% · 157
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 99
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 40
- Black or African American0.5% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fetters
Fetters 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
#7,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,473
+348 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 1.52
Rank movement Down 6 places
2020
#7,926
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,016
-457 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Down 480 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,440 | 4,125 | 1.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,446 | 4,473 | 1.52 | +348 bearers (+8.4%) | Down 6 places |
| 2020 | #7,926 | 4,016 | 1.34 | -457 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 480 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 Fetters 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 | #7,446 | #7,926 | -6.4% |
| Count | 4,473 | 4,016 | -10.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.52 | 1.34 | -11.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fetters bearers went from 4,473 to 4,016 (-10.2% change). The surname moved down 480 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,446 to #7,926.
FAQ
Fetters surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fetters?
Name Census estimates that about 4,605 living Americans carry the surname Fetters. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 74,431 residents.
How common is Fetters?
Fetters ranks #7,926 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.34 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 4,016 people with the surname Fetters. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,605), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.34 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 Fetters.
Has Fetters become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fetters went from 4,473 recorded bearers to 4,016. That is a decrease of 457 (-10.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,446 to #7,926.
What does the Census say about the background of Fetters?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fetters, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Fetters in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (3,682 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fetters appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Fetters (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 Fetters mean?
A surname derived from the Old English word for shackles or restraints, likely referring to an ironworker or jailer. 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 Fetters (1.34 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 Fetters?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Fetters at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.