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

Ferby, 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 Ferby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ferby in America

Ferby is the 141140th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ferby surname appeared 118 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ferby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ferby 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 Ferby

The surname FERBY has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from a geographic location or place name, possibly derived from the Old English words "fere" meaning "travel" and "by" meaning "village" or "settlement." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived in a village frequented by travelers or located near a well-traveled route.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the FERBY surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record compiled during the reign of King Edward I. The entry "Johannes de Ferebi" likely refers to someone from the village of Fereby or a similar place name.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as Fereby, Ferby, and Ferebie, reflecting the inconsistencies in written records and dialects of the time. The Inquisitiones Post Mortem, a series of medieval records documenting land holdings, mentions a "William Ferby" who held lands in Lincolnshire in 1349.

Notable individuals bearing the FERBY surname include Sir Thomas Ferby (1540-1613), a member of the English gentry and landowner in Yorkshire. Another prominent figure was Richard Ferby (1675-1744), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of St. Giles-in-the-Fields in London.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the FERBY name was found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and Nottinghamshire. Some of the variations in spelling included Ferbie, Ferbyee, and Ferebie, reflecting regional dialects and spelling inconsistencies.

In the 18th century, the FERBY surname appeared in parish records and court documents across various regions of England. One notable example is John Ferby (1710-1789), a successful merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire, who amassed a considerable fortune and left a significant legacy upon his death.

As time progressed, the FERBY name continued to be found in various parts of England, with some individuals migrating to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. The name has persisted through the centuries, with its roots firmly planted in the English countryside and its history intertwined with the country's rich tapestry of surnames and place names.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ferby

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

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 Ferby 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 Ferby 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 Ferby was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ferby, 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!