Fernado
A Spanish masculine name meaning "brave traveler" or "adventurer".
Name Census estimates that about 137 living Americans carry the first name Fernado. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Fernado today is around 43 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Fernado births was 1977 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Fernado. 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
137
~ 1 in 2,501,856 Americans
Peak year
1977
9 babies that year
Average age
43
years old
2006 SSA rank
#12,653
Tracked since 1968
Popularity
Fernado: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Fernado from the 1960s through to the 2000s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 54 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Fernado 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 Fernado during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Fernado
The name Fernado originated from the Spanish and Portuguese languages. It is derived from the Germanic name Ferdinand, which comes from the words "fridu" meaning peace and "nanth" meaning courage or daring. The name gained popularity during the Middle Ages in the Iberian Peninsula.
Fernado was a common name among the Spanish and Portuguese nobility, and it can be found in several historical records from the 12th to the 15th centuries. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was Ferdinand III, also known as Saint Ferdinand, who was the King of Castile and Leon from 1217 to 1252.
Another notable figure with the name Fernado was Ferdinand II of Aragon, who ruled over the Kingdom of Aragon from 1479 to 1516. He was also the husband of Queen Isabella I of Castile, and together they were known as the Catholic Monarchs, who sponsored Christopher Columbus's voyage to the Americas.
In the 16th century, Fernado Alvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba, was a renowned Spanish military leader who played a significant role in the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule. He was born in 1507 and died in 1582.
During the 17th century, Fernado de Herrera was a Spanish poet and writer who contributed to the development of the Spanish Golden Age literature. He was born in 1534 and died in 1597.
In the 18th century, Fernado Sor was a Spanish classical guitarist, composer, and teacher. He was born in 1778 and died in 1839, and he is considered one of the most influential figures in the history of the classical guitar.
The name Fernado has been used throughout history by various notable figures, reflecting its deep roots in the Spanish and Portuguese cultures. Its meaning, derived from the Germanic words for peace and courage, has resonated across generations and continues to be a popular choice for parents today.
People
Fernado + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Fernado 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
Fernado: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Fernado?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 137 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Fernado 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 2,501,856 US residents.
Is Fernado a common name?
We classify Fernado as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 145 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Fernado most popular?
The single biggest year for Fernado was 1977, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Fernado is about 43 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Fernado a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Fernado 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.