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Felter Family History

Felter Surname Meaning

German: habitational name for someone from any of several places called Felten or Velten. German: variant of Falter. Americanized form of German Felder or a shortened and altered form of any of various surnames formed with -felder as for example Kleinfelder (compare Kleinfelter).

English: occupational name from Middle English felter(e) ‘felter’ for someone who made, worked with, or sold felt.

Compare Felt.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Felter family from?

You can see how Felter families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Felter family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Felter families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 12 Felter families living in British Columbia. This was about 43% of all the recorded Felter's in Canada. British Columbia had the highest population of Felter families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Felter surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Felter ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Felter. 21% of Felter men worked as a Farmer and 12% of Felter women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Felter were Salesman and Clerk.

View Census Data for Felter | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    21%
  • Laborer
    12%
  • Truck Driver
    7%
  • Salesman
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    12%
  • Housekeeper
    10%
  • Bookkeeper
    10%
  • Clerk
    10%

What Felter family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 16,000 census records available for the last name Felter. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Felter census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Felter

Passenger Lists

There are 958 immigration records available for the last name Felter. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Felter immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Felter. For the veterans among your Felter ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Felter military records

You've only scratched the surface of Felter family history

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What is the average Felter lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Felter life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Felter in 1948 was 53, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Felter

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Felter ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Felter family tree

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