Explore the Family Name Feather
The meaning of Feather
1. English: from Middle English fether, fed(d)er ‘feather’ or perhaps a shortened form of Middle English fetherer, applied as a metonymic occupational name for a trader in feathers and down, a maker of quilts, or possibly a maker of pens. Feathermongers are recorded from the 13th century onward. 2. English: perhaps also a variant of Father, from Middle English fader, father, feder, fether (Old English fæder) ‘father’, often used to denote someone who exercised protecting care like that of a father. 3. Native American: translation into English and shortening of a personal name based on a word, such as Chippewa miigwan or Lakota Sioux wiyaka, meaning ‘feather’. The great cultural significance of the eagle feathers to many Native American tribes is reflected in their traditional personal names, many of which were adopted as surnames (translated into English), e.g. Red Feather (see Redfeather) and White Feather (see Whitefeather). 4. Americanized form of German Feder.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Feather in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Feather saw a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Feather ranked 11,433 in terms of popularity and slightly slipped to 11,719 by 2010, marking a 2.5% decrease. However, despite this drop in ranking, the count of individuals carrying the Feather surname actually increased by about 5.78%, from 2,528 people in 2000 to 2,674 in 2010. Consequently, the proportion of Feather per 100k people decreased by 3.19% during this decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,433 | #11,719 | -2.5% |
| Count | 2,528 | 2,674 | 5.78% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.94 | 0.91 | -3.19% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Feather
Regarding ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some significant shifts between 2000 and 2010. Most notably, the percentage of Black individuals with the Feather surname rose dramatically by 206.02%, from just 0.83% in 2000 to 2.54% in 2010. Similarly, there was a substantial increase in Asian/Pacific Islanders bearing the Feather surname, as their representation grew by 87.50%, from 0.24% to 0.45%. For the American Indian and Alaskan Native community, the surname saw a modest rise of 17.25%, from 8.23% to 9.65%. At the same time, the percentage of White individuals with the Feather surname fell by 3.54% over the decade. The proportion of Hispanic individuals and those belonging to two or more races also experienced slight decreases, dropping by 7.75% and 7.65% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 87.58% | 84.48% | -3.54% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 8.23% | 9.65% | 17.25% |
| Black | 0.83% | 2.54% | 206.02% |
| Two or More Races | 1.7% | 1.57% | -7.65% |
| Hispanic | 1.42% | 1.31% | -7.75% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.24% | 0.45% | 87.5% |
Feather ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Feather is British & Irish, which comprises 51.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (30.3%) and Eastern European (5.2%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Filipino & Austronesian, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.1% |
| French & German | 30.3% |
| Eastern European | 5.2% |
| Other | 13.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Feather
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Feather have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 82.80% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 82.80% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 82.80% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 82.80% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.80% |
What Feather haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Feather is O-F2415, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F2415 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include E-M183 and O-F2859, which are predominantly found among people with European and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Feather surname are: H1, H, K1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Cham
One of the many populations harboring members of haplogroup O1b1a1a1a1 is the Cham ethnic group, a group of people who speak Austronesian languages in Mainland Southeast Asia. Austronesian languages make up a language family that is extremely large and widespread, comprising over 350 million people on islands such as Madagascar, Easter Island, and many others. However, Austronesian languages are less common on mainland Asia, with a notable exception being the Chamic language. Research suggests that ancestors of the Cham people migrated from Southeast Asian islands to the mainland around the year 500 BCE, and that early Cham populations quickly began mixing with indigenous southern Vietnamese populations. As a result, the Chamic language now has words that were borrowed from languages spoken by indigenous Vietnamese people. It is likely that an ancestral Kinh population was one of the populations that mixed with the Cham people shortly after their migration to mainland Asia.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Feather have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Feather" Surname 47.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Light Hair
Hair that is blonde or light brown in color
"Feather" Surname 50.0%
23andMe Users 50.5%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Feather" Surname 26.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Feather" Surname 18.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Feather?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Feather are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition