Explore the Family Name Fettes

The meaning of Fettes

1. Scottish and English: nickname from Middle English fetis, fetice ‘neat, elegant, handsome’ (Anglo-Norman French fetiz). Compare Fett. 2. German: probably a dialect nickname for a fat person derived from Fett ‘fat’ + -es, a Rhenish dialect suffix with a humorous overtone.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Fettes in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Fettes saw a decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 48,567th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had dropped to the 54,530th position, representing a 12.28% drop in rank. The number of individuals with this surname also decreased during this period, from 408 in 2000 to 378 in 2010, marking a 7.35% decline. The proportion per 100,000 population also fell by 13.33%, from 0.15 in 2000 to 0.13 in 2010.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#48,567	#54,530	-12.28%
Count	408	378	-7.35%
Proportion per 100k	0.15	0.13	-13.33%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Fettes

As for the ethnic identity associated with the surname Fettes, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates that it is predominantly White, with 95.1% in 2000 and 94.44% in 2010. During the same time frame, the percentage of individuals identifying as Hispanic with this surname increased from 3.68% to 3.97%. There was also a new appearance of individuals with two or more races identifying with the surname Fettes in 2010, making up 1.32% of the group. However, there were no individuals who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native with this surname in either year.

	2000	2010	Change
White	95.1%	94.44%	-0.69%
Hispanic	3.68%	3.97%	7.88%
Two or More Races	0%	1.32%	0%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
Black	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%