NameCensus.
Very Rare

Ferlin

Origin uncertain, possibly derived from Old English meaning "far one" or "wanderer".

Name Census estimates that about 216 living Americans carry the first name Ferlin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ferlin today is around 63 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ferlin births was 1958 (26 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Ferlin. 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

216

~ 1 in 1,586,826 Americans

Peak year

1958

26 babies that year

Average age

63

years old

1982 SSA rank

#5,886

Tracked since 1954

Popularity

Ferlin: popularity over time

The SSA tracks Ferlin from the 1950s through to the 1980s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 122 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.

Babies born per year

07132026195519601965197019751980

Decades

Ferlin 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 Ferlin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
1950s97097
1960s1220122
1970s32032
1980s606

Origin

Meaning and history of Ferlin

The given name Ferlin is believed to have originated from the Old English words "feorlen" or "ferlien," which meant "to wonder" or "to marvel." This name first appeared in the 7th or 8th century in the Anglo-Saxon region of what is now England. It was a relatively uncommon name during that time period, but it did have some usage among the lower and middle classes of society.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ferlin can be found in the Domesday Book, a medieval census conducted in 1086 by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Ferlin of Oxfordshire. This suggests that the name was in use, albeit sparingly, in the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Ferlin de Montferrant was a French crusader who participated in the Seventh Crusade led by King Louis IX of France. De Montferrant was born around 1220 and died in the Holy Land during the Crusade in 1248.

During the Renaissance period, a Italian painter named Ferlin de Fabriano was active in the early 15th century. He was known for his frescoes and altarpieces, particularly those found in the churches of central Italy. De Fabriano was born around 1370 and died in 1428.

In the 16th century, a Scottish scholar and philosopher named Ferlin Macdonald made significant contributions to the development of early modern philosophy. He was born in 1510 in Aberdeen and died in 1583 in Edinburgh.

Another notable figure with the name Ferlin was an English poet and playwright named Ferlin Hawkins, who lived during the 17th century. Hawkins was born in 1635 in London and died in 1705. He is best known for his satirical plays that commented on the social and political issues of his time.

While the name Ferlin has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has been carried by a diverse range of individuals from different backgrounds and eras. Despite its obscurity, the name has persisted for centuries, reflecting its unique and intriguing origins.

People

Ferlin + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Ferlin 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

Ferlin: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Ferlin?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 216 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ferlin 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 1,586,826 US residents.

Is Ferlin a common name?

We classify Ferlin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 257 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Ferlin most popular?

The single biggest year for Ferlin was 1958, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ferlin is about 63 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

Is Ferlin a male name?

Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ferlin 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.

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