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

Fetzer, 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 Fetzer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fetzer in America

Fetzer is the 9190th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fetzer surname appeared 3,550 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 Fetzer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fetzer 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 Fetzer

The surname Fetzer has its origins in Germany, where it emerged in the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "fetz," which means "rag" or "shred." This suggests that the name may have been a nickname for someone who wore tattered or ragged clothes.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Fetzer can be found in various medieval records and documents from the region of Bavaria in southern Germany. One of the first known bearers of the name was Hans Fetzer, a farmer who lived in the village of Ebersberg near Munich in the late 15th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Fetzer began to spread beyond Bavaria to other parts of Germany. In the 1600s, a branch of the family settled in the town of Weingarten, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. One notable member of this branch was Johann Fetzer, a respected merchant and civic leader who was born in 1642.

As the name Fetzer became more widespread, it also underwent various spelling variations. Some of these include Fetzser, Fetzser, and Fätzer. In some regions, the name was also associated with certain place names, such as Fetzersbach and Fetzersheim.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the surname Fetzer. One of the earliest was Hans Fetzer, a German Renaissance painter who was active in the early 16th century. His works can still be found in various churches and museums across southern Germany.

Another significant figure was Johann Fetzer, a German Lutheran theologian and philosopher who lived from 1646 to 1719. He was a renowned scholar and author who wrote extensively on religious and philosophical topics.

In the 19th century, Friedrich Fetzer (1822-1894) was a prominent German politician and lawyer. He served as a member of the Reichstag (German parliament) and was known for his liberal political views.

More recently, the name Fetzer has been associated with individuals in various fields, such as American philosopher and author James Fetzer, born in 1940, and German football player Christian Fetzer, born in 1992.

While the surname Fetzer may have humble beginnings as a nickname for someone who wore ragged clothes, it has since become a respected name with a rich history and notable bearers across various disciplines and professions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fetzer

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

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

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

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