Farrell
A traditionally Irish name meaning "man from across the sea".
Name Census estimates that about 2,727 living Americans carry the first name Farrell. It is a predominantly male name (90.2% of registrations). The average person named Farrell today is around 57 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Farrell births was 1956 (99 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Farrell. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
2.7K
~ 1 in 125,689 Americans
Peak year
1956
99 babies that year
Average age
57
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,856
Tracked since 1902
Gender
Gender distribution for Farrell
Farrell leans heavily male at 90.2% of total registrations, but 472 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Farrell as a male name
- Ranked #12,856 in 2024
- 5 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1935 (96 births)
Farrell as a female name
- Ranked #17,392 in 2014
- 5 female births in 2014
- Peak: 1942 (15 births)
Popularity
Farrell: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Farrell from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 835 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1930s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Farrell by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Farrell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Farrells live
The SSA's state-level files cover 20 states and territories. Louisiana, Utah, Missouri recorded the most babies named Farrell, while Tennessee, Kansas, South Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 49 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Farrell
The name Farrell has its origins in the Irish Gaelic language and culture. It is believed to have derived from the old Irish word "ferghail," which means "man of valor" or "courageous man." The name can be traced back to the early medieval period in Ireland, around the 5th or 6th century AD.
One of the earliest known historical figures to bear the name Farrell was an Irish chieftain named Farrell O'Reilly, who lived in the 14th century. He was a prominent leader of the O'Reilly clan in County Cavan, Ireland, and played a significant role in the struggles against English rule during that time.
In the 16th century, a poet and musician named Farrell O'Gara gained recognition for his work in preserving and promoting traditional Irish poetry and music. He was born around 1520 in County Sligo and is considered one of the last great bards of the Gaelic literary tradition.
Another notable figure with the name Farrell was Farrell O'Donnell, an Irish rebel leader who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He fought against English colonization in Ulster and led several uprisings against English forces in the early 1600s.
In the 18th century, Farrell O'Gorman was an Irish politician and member of the Irish House of Commons. He was born in 1714 and played a significant role in advocating for Catholic rights and political reforms in Ireland during his time.
Moving to the 20th century, Farrell Edmunds was an American football player and coach. He was born in 1907 and played as a quarterback for the University of Southern California in the late 1920s. He later went on to coach several college teams and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1962.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Farrell, showcasing its rich heritage and cultural significance, particularly within the Irish tradition.
People
Farrell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Farrell as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Farrell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Farrell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,727 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Farrell going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 125,689 US residents.
Is Farrell a common name?
We classify Farrell as "Rare". It ranks above 94.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 4,827 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Farrell most popular?
The single biggest year for Farrell was 1956, when 99 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Farrell is about 57 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Farrell a male name?
Yes, 90.2% of people registered as Farrell in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.