Find out how popular the last name Ferber is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ferber.

Ferber, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ferber surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ferber in America

Ferber is the 13850th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ferber surname appeared 2,182 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ferber.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ferber to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ferber

The surname Ferber has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Färber," which means "dyer" or "painter," referring to an occupation or trade within the textile industry. The name was likely adopted by individuals or families who worked as dyers or painters of fabrics or other materials.

The earliest recorded instances of the Ferber surname can be found in various historical documents from regions in present-day Germany and Austria. One notable mention is in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of charters and documents from the 12th to the 15th centuries, where the name appears as "Ferbere" in an entry dated 1375.

In the 16th century, the surname Ferber was prevalent in the city of Nuremberg, located in the Franconian region of Germany. Several prominent individuals bore this surname, including Hans Ferber, a renowned painter and engraver who lived from 1545 to 1614. His works, which included religious scenes and portraits, were highly regarded during his lifetime and are still studied by art historians today.

Another notable figure from this period was Johann Ferber, a German scholar and writer who lived from 1580 to 1655. He was known for his contributions to the field of theology and authored several influential texts on religious and philosophical subjects.

As the Ferber surname spread across Europe, it also found its way into various records and historical documents. In the 17th century, the name appeared in the parish registers of the town of Wittenberg, which was at the heart of the Protestant Reformation. One such entry, dated 1623, mentions a certain Martin Ferber, whose occupation is listed as a dyer.

In the 18th century, the Ferber surname gained prominence in the field of natural sciences. Johann Jakob Ferber, born in 1743 and died in 1790, was a German mineralogist and geologist who made significant contributions to the study of minerals and rocks. His extensive travels and observations led to the publication of several important works, including "Letters from the Mines" and "Mineral-Historical Observations on the Oberpfalz and Regensburg."

Another notable figure from this era was Christian Ferber, a German mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1710 to 1768. He is best known for his work on calculating the orbit of the planet Uranus, which had been recently discovered during his lifetime.

The Ferber surname continued to be represented across various fields and disciplines throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, with individuals making their mark in areas such as literature, music, and academia. However, the most detailed historical records and references relating to the origins and significance of this surname can be found in the earlier centuries, as mentioned above.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ferber

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ferber.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ferber was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ferber has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ferber was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ferber, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!