2000
#29,873
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 742
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.28
Rare Last name
Feig
A surname potentially derived from the German word "feige" meaning cowardly or faint-hearted.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,069 Americans carry the last name Feig. That puts it at #27,401 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 320,631 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Feig 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
1.1K
1 in 320,631
Census rank
#27,401
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
932
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 932 bearers of the surname Feig in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27401st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Feig, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Feig
The surname Feig originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, particularly in the areas now known as Germany and Switzerland. It is believed to have derived from the German word "feige," which means "cowardly" or "timid." The name may have initially been given as a nickname to someone who was perceived as having a meek or timid demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Feig can be found in the 14th century in the town of Ulm, located in what is now the German state of Baden-Württemberg. A document from 1372 mentions a person named Hainrich Feig, who was a member of the local guilds.
During the Middle Ages, surnames were often derived from personal characteristics, occupations, or locations. The surname Feig likely fell into the category of descriptive surnames, referring to an individual's perceived personality trait. As the use of hereditary surnames became more widespread, the name Feig was adopted by families and passed down through generations.
In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname Feig was Johann Feig, a German theologian and scholar who lived from 1508 to 1590. He was a Protestant reformer and a prominent figure in the Lutheran Church.
Another individual of historical significance was Johann Nikolaus Feig, a German astronomer and mathematician who lived from 1673 to 1739. He made contributions to the fields of astronomy and celestial mechanics and was a professor at the University of Wittenberg.
In the 18th century, a German composer and organist named Johann Jakob Feig (1737-1790) gained recognition for his musical works, including compositions for the organ and church music.
Moving into the 19th century, Karl Feig (1835-1890) was a German novelist and playwright who wrote several works that explored social issues and criticized the ruling class of his time.
More recently, Theodor Feig (1901-1987) was a German philosopher and educator who specialized in the study of phenomenology and existentialism. He taught at several universities in Germany and published numerous works on philosophical topics.
While the surname Feig has its roots in German-speaking regions, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and migration. The name has been found in various spellings, such as Feige, Feick, and Feick, reflecting regional variations and adaptations over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Feig
Among Census respondents with the surname Feig, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Feig 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 Feig surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 849
- Two or more races3.1% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.0% · 28
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Feig
Feig 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
#27,974
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 857
+115 bearers (+15.5%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Up 1,899 places
2020
#27,401
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 932
+75 bearers (+8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Up 573 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #29,873 | 742 | 0.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #27,974 | 857 | 0.29 | +115 bearers (+15.5%) | Up 1,899 places |
| 2020 | #27,401 | 932 | 0.31 | +75 bearers (+8.8%) | Up 573 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 Feig 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 | #27,974 | #27,401 | 2.0% |
| Count | 857 | 932 | 8.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.29 | 0.31 | 7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Feig bearers went from 857 to 932 (+8.8% change). The surname moved up 573 positions in the national ranking, going from #27,974 to #27,401.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Feig
FAQ
Feig surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Feig?
Name Census estimates that about 1,069 living Americans carry the surname Feig. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 320,631 residents.
How common is Feig?
Feig ranks #27,401 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.31 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 932 people with the surname Feig. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,069), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.31 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 Feig.
Has Feig become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Feig went from 857 recorded bearers to 932. That is an increase of 75 (+8.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #27,974 to #27,401.
What does the Census say about the background of Feig?
Among Census respondents with the surname Feig, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%). 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 Feig in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (849 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Feig appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%). 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 Feig (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 Feig mean?
A surname potentially derived from the German word "feige" meaning cowardly or faint-hearted. 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 Feig (0.31 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 Feig?
You can see how many people have the last name Feig on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.