Feather Family History

English: from Middle English fether fed(d)er ‘feather’ or perhaps a shortened form of Middle English fetherer applied as a metonymic occupational name for a trader in feathers and down, a maker of quilts, or possibly a maker of pens. Feathermongers are recorded from the 13th century onward.

English: perhaps also a variant of Father, from Middle English fader, father, feder, fether (Old English fæder) ‘father’, often used to denote someone who exercised protecting care like that of a father.

Native American: translation into English and shortening of a personal name based on a word such as Chippewa miigwan or Lakota Sioux wiyaka, meaning ‘feather’. The great cultural significance of the eagle feathers to many Native American tribes is reflected in their traditional personal names, many of which were adopted as surnames (translated into English), e.g. Red Feather (see Redfeather) and White Feather (see Whitefeather).

Americanized form of German Feder.