Ferdinan
One powerful and brave, from the Germanic words "frid" (peace) and "nanth" (daring, courage).
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Ferdinan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ferdinan today is around 66 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ferdinan births was 1965 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ferdinan. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Ferdinan is about 66 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Ferdinans were born before 1970.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ferdinan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1965
5 babies that year
Average age
66
years old
1965 SSA rank
#4,090
Tracked since 1965
Popularity
Ferdinan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Ferdinan 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 Ferdinan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Ferdinan
The name Ferdinan is of Germanic origin, deriving from the ancient words "fridu" meaning peace and "nanti" meaning brave or daring. It emerged during the Middle Ages, initially as a compound name "Fridunant" or "Ferdinant" before evolving into the modern form of Ferdinand.
This name gained prominence with the reign of Ferdinand I, also known as Ferdinand the Great, who ruled as the King of León and Castile from 1037 to 1065. His successful military campaigns against the Moors and expansion of Christian territories across the Iberian Peninsula contributed to the widespread adoption of this name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ferdinan can be found in the 11th century text "Codex Calixtinus," which chronicled the life of St. James the Great and the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela. The text mentions a knight named Ferdinan who accompanied the remains of the saint on their journey.
Throughout history, several notable figures bore the name Ferdinan. Ferdinand I of Aragon (1452-1516), better known as Ferdinand the Catholic, was a significant historical figure who united Spain through his marriage to Isabella I of Castile and sponsored Christopher Columbus's voyages to the Americas.
Another prominent bearer of this name was Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor (1503-1564), who played a crucial role in the Protestant Reformation and the Counter-Reformation movements in Europe.
The name Ferdinan also gained recognition in the arts and literature. Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany (1769-1824), was a patron of the arts and presided over a period of cultural renaissance in his realm.
In the world of music, Ferdinand Hiller (1811-1885) was a renowned German composer and conductor who contributed significantly to the development of 19th-century Romanticism.
Finally, Ferdinand Cheval (1836-1924), a French postman, is celebrated for his remarkable architectural feat, the Palais Idéal, an intricate structure he single-handedly constructed over 33 years using found objects and stones.
People
Ferdinan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ferdinan 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
Ferdinan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ferdinan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ferdinan 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Ferdinan a common name?
We classify Ferdinan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ferdinan most popular?
The single biggest year for Ferdinan was 1965, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ferdinan is about 66 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ferdinan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ferdinan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ferdinan 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.
Is Ferdinan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ferdinan in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ferdinan can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Ferdinan as a first name?
Find out how many people have the name Ferdinan on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.