<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0305</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2012-04-02</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001287151</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>XERIUM TECHNOLOGIES INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>XRM</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001492671</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>AS Investors, LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O AMERICAN SECURITIES LLC</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>299 PARK AVENUE, 34TH FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10171</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText></otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001401897</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>American Securities Partners V, L.P.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O AMERICAN SECURITIES LLC</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>299 PARK AVENUE, 34TH FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10171</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText>(See Remarks below)</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001401896</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>American Securities Partners V(B), L.P.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O AMERICAN SECURITIES LLC</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>299 PARK AVE, 34TH FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10171</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText>(See Remarks below)</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001475482</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>American Securities Partners V (C) L.P.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O AMERICAN SECURITIES LLC</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>299 PARK AVE, 34TH FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10171</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText>(See Remarks below)</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001475484</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>American Securities Associates V, LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O AMERICAN SECURITIES LLC</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>299 PARK AVE., 34TH FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10171</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText>(See Remarks below)</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001475483</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>AMERICAN SECURITIES LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>299 PARK AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>34TH FLOOR</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10171</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText>(See Remarks below)</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001492657</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Saiontz Marc</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O XERIUM TECHNOLOGIES, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>8537 SIX FORKS ROAD, SUITE 300</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>RALEIGH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NC</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>27615</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText></otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>2164338</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2012-04-02</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>2171</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>8632</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable></derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">The shares are directly owned by AS Investors, LLC and may also be deemed to be indirectly beneficially owned by: (i) American Securities Partners V, L.P., American Securities Partners V(B), L.P. and American Securities Partners V(C), L.P. (each, a &quot;Sponsor&quot;), the owners of membership interests in AS Investors, LLC; (ii) American Securities Associates V, LLC (&quot;GP&quot;), the general partner of each Sponsor; and (iii) American Securities LLC (&quot;ASL&quot;), which provides investment advisory services to each Sponsor and GP.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Each Reporting Person disclaims beneficial ownership of the reported securities except to the extent of such Reporting Person's pecuniary interest therein, and this report shall not be deemed an admission that such Reporting Person is the beneficial owner of the securities for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or for any other purpose.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Grant of stock (immediate vesting of Director Deferred Stock Units).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Marc Saiontz is a managing director of ASL (and a director of Xerium Technologies, Inc. (the &quot;Issuer&quot;)).  Pursuant to an arrangement between Mr. Saiontz and ASL, all director fees received by him from the Issuer are paid over to or held for the benefit of ASL.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">Includes 2,228 Director Deferred Stock Units and 6,404 shares of Common Stock.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks>Exhibit 99.1 Joint Filer Information incorporated herein by reference</remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Marc Saiontz</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2012-04-03</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>AS Investors, LLC By: /s/ Marc Saiontz, as Vice President</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2012-04-03</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>American Securities Partners V, L.P. By: American Securities Associates V, LLC, its general partner By: /s/ Michael G. Fisch, as Managing Member</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2012-04-03</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>American Securities Partners V(B), L.P. By: American Securities Associates V, LLC, its general partner By: /s/ Michael G. Fisch, as Managing Member</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2012-04-03</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>American Securities Partners V(C), L.P. By: American Securities Associates V, LLC, its general partner By: /s/ Michael G. Fisch, as Managing Member</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2012-04-03</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>American Securities Associates V, LLC By: /s/ Michael G. Fisch, as Managing Member</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2012-04-03</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>American Securities LLC By: /s/ Michael G. Fisch, as President and Chief Executive Officer</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2012-04-03</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
