2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Fiederlein
A diminutive German surname meaning "little feather".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 111 Americans carry the last name Fiederlein. That puts it at #156,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,087,877 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fiederlein 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
111
1 in 3,087,877
Census rank
#156,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
97
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 97 bearers of the surname Fiederlein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fiederlein, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fiederlein
The surname Fiederlein is of German origin, emerging in the late medieval period around the 14th or 15th century. It is derived from the German word "Fiedel", meaning a small violin or fiddle, with the diminutive suffix "-lein" added, suggesting a fiddler or someone associated with playing the violin. The name likely originated in regions where fiddle playing or violin-making was a common trade or cultural tradition.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fiederlein can be found in a 16th-century document from the town of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Fiederlein was mentioned as a resident. This suggests that the name was already established in southern Germany during that time period.
In the 17th century, a notable figure named Johann Fiederlein (1587-1639) was a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach. His contributions to church music and organ composition were significant during the early Baroque era.
Moving into the 18th century, a man named Georg Fiederlein (1710-1782) was a renowned clockmaker from the town of Augsburg, known for his intricate and highly crafted timepieces. His works were highly sought after by the nobility and wealthy patrons of the time.
In the 19th century, one Karl Fiederlein (1822-1899) was a German-American artist and painter who settled in Philadelphia, where he became renowned for his landscape and portrait works. His paintings captured the beauty of the American countryside and the diverse faces of the city's residents.
Another noteworthy individual with this surname was the German philosopher and academic, Otto Fiederlein (1876-1952), who taught at the University of Leipzig and made significant contributions to the fields of epistemology and metaphysics during the early 20th century.
While the surname Fiederlein may not have been as widespread as some other German surnames, it has a rich history dating back several centuries, with individuals bearing this name leaving their mark in various fields, from music and art to craftsmanship and academia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fiederlein
Among Census respondents with the surname Fiederlein, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Fiederlein 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 Fiederlein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.6% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino13.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fiederlein
Fiederlein 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-20 bearers (-16.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 29,635 places
2020
#156,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97
-5 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,983 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -20 bearers (-16.4%) | Down 29,635 places |
| 2020 | #156,449 | 97 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.9%) | Up 1,983 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 Fiederlein 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 | #158,432 | #156,449 | 1.3% |
| Count | 102 | 97 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fiederlein bearers went from 102 to 97 (-4.9% change). The surname moved up 1,983 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #156,449.
FAQ
Fiederlein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fiederlein?
Name Census estimates that about 111 living Americans carry the surname Fiederlein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,087,877 residents.
How common is Fiederlein?
Fiederlein ranks #156,449 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 97 people with the surname Fiederlein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (111), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Fiederlein.
Has Fiederlein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fiederlein went from 102 recorded bearers to 97. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #156,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Fiederlein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fiederlein, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (13.4%). 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 Fiederlein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.6% (84 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fiederlein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.6%), Hispanic (13.4%). 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 Fiederlein (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 Fiederlein mean?
A diminutive German surname meaning "little feather". 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 Fiederlein (0.03 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 common is the surname Fiederlein?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Fiederlein on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.