Surname Felt - Meaning and Origin
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Felt: What does the surname Felt mean?
The last name Felt has several possible origins. It could have derived from a nickname for someone who had thick hair or a thick felt-like beard. It may also have derived from the Middle English verb "to fell," meaning "to cut down," as a reference to a worker in the forest. Alternatively, Felt could be from Feltre, an ancient Roman city in northern Italy, or it could be derived from the Old Norse word "fjöld," meaning "crowd" or "multitude."
In England, the Felt surname first appeared in the mid-13th century and became popularly known as a family name in the north of England. Felt family members were known to be merchants, getting their livelihoods from selling items in markets. In the American colonies, the Felt family was among the first settlers in 1630s Massachusetts. They quickly became integrated into the community and were some of the first to be granted patents of land in the area.
Today, the name Felt still exists in many parts of the world, and the original meaning and origins remain a mystery. Although its exact origin is unknown, one thing is clear: the Felt name has endured for centuries and its meaning will remain a mystery yet to be uncovered.
Order DNA origin analysisFelt: Where does the name Felt come from?
The last name Felt is most commonly found in the United States, but also in many other regions across the world. In the US, the earliest records of the Felt surname can be traced back to colonial New England in the 1600s, with its first recorded use being Samuel Felt, born in Massachusetts in 1640.
Since then, the last name has spread across the US and beyond, with large numbers recorded in the present day in states such as Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio. In recent decades, it has also been found in other countries such as Germany, Canada, and Australia.
Today, the last name Felt can still be found predominantly in the US, though it is also common in other countries. It is classified as being of English, French, or German origin, though it has also been adopted by families from other countries.
Felt is still a fairly common name in the US and other countries, and can be found on websites such as ancestry.com and whitepages.com. Additionally, it can be searched by name in national databases such as the US Census Bureau.
Variations of the surname Felt
The surname Felt is derived from Old German and Anglo-Saxon origins, with multiple spelling variations. Variations of the surname include Falt, Felth, Feltz, Faltz, Felts, Felte, Feldz, Feldt, Felde, and Felta. Many of these variations are found within the United States, especially in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa.
The most common variant of the surname Felt is Feld, which is the German form of the name. This name was especially popular in Germany during the early 16th century. It derives from the Old German Fal, which means ‘feel’ or ‘touch’. In the United States, the surname Feld is most commonly found in the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin.
In Britain, Felt is the most common variant of the surname. It is derived from the Old English word Feld, which means ‘war’. This spelling was especially popular between the 12th and 17th centuries. Today, this spelling is still the most common found in England and Scotland.
Other variations of the surname Felt include Felte, Feltz, Faltz, and Felta. These spellings are all similar to the Felt spelling, and are derived from various European countries. In France, the variation Felte is found, while in Austria Feltz is most common.
All of the variations of the surname Felt are derived from the same origins, with slight orthographical modifications. These spellings all refer to touching or feeling, and most likely refer to a person who was in the habit of touching or feeling.
Famous people with the name Felt
- Mark Felt (1913-2008), FBI Deputy Director, known as "Deep Throat"
- Bob Felt (1926-1990), American jazz vibragraphist
- Beth Felt (1935-2015), American author, poet, and Jungian analyst
- Florence Felt, American silent film performer
- Felicia Felt, Swiss action painter
- Clarence Felt, the protagonist of the "Quicksilver" novel series
- Alexander Hamilton Felt (1814-1876), American politician
- Jack Felt (1907-1971), American actor
- Charles Felt (1891-1943), American physicist
- William Felt (1822-1908), American politician