2000
#11,689
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,459
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Fein
A Jewish surname of uncertain derivation, possibly related to the Yiddish word "fein," meaning "fine" or "refined."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,754 Americans carry the last name Fein. That puts it at #12,349 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 124,457 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fein 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
2.8K
1 in 124,457
Census rank
#12,349
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,402 bearers of the surname Fein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12349th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fein, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fein
The surname "FEIN" is of German origin, derived from the Old High German word "fini" or "fin," which means "fine" or "thin." The name first appeared in the 8th century in the region of Bavaria, in southern Germany.
The earliest recorded instance of the name "FEIN" can be found in the Codex Traditionum Monasterii Raittenbuch, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 11th century. The document mentions a certain "Adelpertus Fein" who lived in the village of Raitenhaslach, near the town of Burghausen.
During the Middle Ages, the surname "FEIN" was often associated with skilled craftsmen, particularly those involved in the production of fine textiles or metalwork. The name may have been used to describe someone with a talent for intricate or delicate work.
One notable figure bearing the name "FEIN" was Johann Fein (1480-1542), a German goldsmith and engraver who worked in Nuremberg during the Renaissance period. His intricate engravings and metalwork were highly sought after by the nobility and wealthy patrons of the time.
In the 17th century, the name "FEIN" appeared in the records of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval town in Bavaria. A certain Hans Fein (1612-1678) was a respected baker and member of the town council.
Another historical figure with the surname "FEIN" was Friedrich Fein (1730-1801), a German writer and philosopher from Saxony. He was known for his works on ethics and moral philosophy, which were influential during the Enlightenment period.
In the 19th century, the name "FEIN" was also found in the records of the town of Freiburg im Breisgau, located in the Black Forest region of Germany. A certain Karl Fein (1819-1887) was a prominent businessman and landowner in the area.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname "FEIN" was the German physicist and Nobel laureate, Isidor Isaac Rabi (1898-1988), whose original surname was "FEIN." He was born in Galicia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but his family later changed their surname to "Rabi" upon immigrating to the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fein
Among Census respondents with the surname Fein, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Fein 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 Fein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 2,201
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 88
- Two or more races3.2% · 76
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 22
- Black or African American0.6% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fein
Fein 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
#12,971
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,367
-92 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 1,282 places
2020
#12,349
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,402
+35 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Up 622 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,689 | 2,459 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,971 | 2,367 | 0.80 | -92 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 1,282 places |
| 2020 | #12,349 | 2,402 | 0.80 | +35 bearers (+1.5%) | Up 622 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 Fein 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 | #12,971 | #12,349 | 4.8% |
| Count | 2,367 | 2,402 | 1.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 0.80 | 0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fein bearers went from 2,367 to 2,402 (+1.5% change). The surname moved up 622 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,971 to #12,349.
FAQ
Fein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fein?
Name Census estimates that about 2,754 living Americans carry the surname Fein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 124,457 residents.
How common is Fein?
Fein ranks #12,349 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,402 people with the surname Fein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,754), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Fein.
Has Fein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fein went from 2,367 recorded bearers to 2,402. That is an increase of 35 (+1.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,971 to #12,349.
What does the Census say about the background of Fein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fein, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Fein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (2,201 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Fein (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 Fein mean?
A Jewish surname of uncertain derivation, possibly related to the Yiddish word "fein," meaning "fine" or "refined." 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 Fein (0.80 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 Americans have the surname Fein?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.