Explore the Family Name Felber
The meaning of Felber
1. German and Swiss German: topographic name for someone who lived by a conspicuous willow tree or a group of such trees, from Middle High German velwe ‘willow’ (presumably from an unrecorded Old High German cognate of Old English welig). As a vocabulary word this has now been entirely supplanted by Weide. Both words ultimately derive from a root meaning ‘bent, twisted’, and refer to the useful suppleness of willow twigs. Some examples of the surname may derive as a habitational name from any of the places called Felben, from the dative plural of the word (originally used after a preposition). 2. Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from the German name for a willow (see 1 above). Some characteristic forenames: German Hans, Dietrich, Frederich, Helmut, Johann, Kurt, Siegfried, Wenzel.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Felber in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Felber saw a decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 18,916 in terms of prevalence and fell to 21,811 by 2010, marking a drop of 15.3%. The count of individuals with this surname also diminished, from 1,335 in 2000 to 1,192 in 2010, representing a decrease of approximately 10.71%. Furthermore, the proportion per 100,000 people shrunk from 0.49 to 0.4, an 18.37% fall over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #18,916 | #21,811 | -15.3% |
| Count | 1,335 | 1,192 | -10.71% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.49 | 0.4 | -18.37% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Felber
Moving onto the ethnic identity associated with the Felber surname, census data reveals that the majority identified as White in both years, though there was a slight decrease from 95.81% in 2000 to 95.39% in 2010. Meanwhile, there was a substantial increase in those identifying as Hispanic, from 0.75% to 1.34%, signifying a growth of 78.67%. The percentage of individuals identifying with two or more races fell by 31.28%, while the Black demographic saw a reduction of 39.02%. Interestingly, there were no individuals of Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicity recorded in 2000, but by 2010, these groups made up 0.92% and 0.50% respectively of those bearing the Felber surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.81% | 95.39% | -0.44% |
| Two or More Races | 1.95% | 1.34% | -31.28% |
| Hispanic | 0.75% | 1.34% | 78.67% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.92% | 0% |
| Black | 0.82% | 0.5% | -39.02% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.5% | 0% |