2000
#48,776
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 406
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Very Rare Last name
Feeler
A surname derived from the occupation of inspecting or examining goods.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 515 Americans carry the last name Feeler. That puts it at #50,348 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 665,542 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Feeler 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
515
1 in 665,542
Census rank
#50,348
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
449
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 449 bearers of the surname Feeler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 50348th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Feeler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Feeler
The surname Feeler is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the late 16th century. The name is derived from the Old German word "fühlen," meaning "to feel" or "to touch," suggesting that the original bearer of the name may have been a person with a heightened sense of touch or sensitivity.
One of the earliest known references to the Feeler surname can be found in the municipal records of the city of Cologne in 1587, where a certain Hans Feeler was listed as a merchant. This indicates that the name was already established in the region by that time.
In the 17th century, the Feeler name appears to have spread across various parts of central and northern Germany, with several notable individuals bearing this surname. One such person was Johann Feeler (1625-1688), a renowned philosopher and theologian from Leipzig, who wrote extensively on the concept of human perception and the role of the senses.
By the 18th century, the Feeler name had gained some prominence in the world of arts and literature. Friedrich Feeler (1736-1801) was a celebrated German poet and playwright, known for his poignant works that explored themes of sensory experience and emotional depth.
Another notable figure was Anna Feeler (1789-1862), a pioneering German sculptor whose works were celebrated for their intricate details and lifelike representations. Her ability to capture the subtleties of human expression and emotion in her sculptures earned her widespread acclaim.
In the 19th century, the Feeler surname found its way to other parts of Europe and beyond. One notable example is Charles Feeler (1821-1898), a French-born explorer and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in South America.
As the Feeler name continued to spread in the 20th century, it became associated with various fields, including science and medicine. One prominent individual was Dr. Hans Feeler (1902-1987), a German-born neurologist who conducted groundbreaking research on the human senses and the mechanisms of sensory perception.
While the Feeler surname is not among the most common in the world, it has left its mark on various disciplines throughout history, reflecting the sensitivity and perceptiveness that its original meaning suggests.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Feeler
Among Census respondents with the surname Feeler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Feeler 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 Feeler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 414
- Two or more races3.8% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 7
- Black or African American1.1% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Feeler
Feeler 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
#55,386
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 371
-35 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 6,610 places
2020
#50,348
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 449
+78 bearers (+21.0%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 5,038 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #48,776 | 406 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #55,386 | 371 | 0.13 | -35 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 6,610 places |
| 2020 | #50,348 | 449 | 0.15 | +78 bearers (+21.0%) | Up 5,038 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 Feeler 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 | #55,386 | #50,348 | 9.1% |
| Count | 371 | 449 | 21.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.15 | 15.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Feeler bearers went from 371 to 449 (+21.0% change). The surname moved up 5,038 positions in the national ranking, going from #55,386 to #50,348.
FAQ
Feeler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Feeler?
Name Census estimates that about 515 living Americans carry the surname Feeler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 665,542 residents.
How common is Feeler?
Feeler ranks #50,348 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 449 people with the surname Feeler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (515), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Feeler.
Has Feeler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Feeler went from 371 recorded bearers to 449. That is an increase of 78 (+21.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #55,386 to #50,348.
What does the Census say about the background of Feeler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Feeler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.6%). 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 Feeler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (414 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Feeler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Two or More Races (3.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.6%). 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 Feeler (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 Feeler mean?
A surname derived from the occupation of inspecting or examining goods. 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 Feeler (0.15 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 many people have the last name Feeler?
You can see how many people have the surname Feeler on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.