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

Ferdinand, 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 Ferdinand surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ferdinand in America

Ferdinand is the 11653rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ferdinand surname appeared 2,690 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 Ferdinand.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ferdinand 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 Ferdinand

The surname FERDINAND is of Germanic origin, derived from the Old High German words "fridu" meaning peace and "nand" meaning brave or bold. The name was first recorded in the 7th century AD in regions of modern-day Germany and France.

The earliest known historical reference to the surname dates back to the 9th century, when a Frankish nobleman named FERDINAND was mentioned in the Annales Regni Francorum, a chronicle of the Carolingian dynasty. This record suggests that the name was associated with nobility and military prowess during the Middle Ages.

In the 11th century, the name FERDINAND appeared in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This entry indicates the spread of the name to the British Isles during the Norman conquest.

One of the most notable individuals with the surname FERDINAND was King Ferdinand II of Aragon (1452-1516), who played a pivotal role in the Spanish Reconquista and the unification of Spain. His marriage to Queen Isabella I of Castile in 1469 marked the beginning of a unified Spain under their joint rule.

Another prominent figure was Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521), the Portuguese explorer who led the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe. His voyage, sponsored by the Spanish crown, paved the way for future explorations and the expansion of European influence worldwide.

In the realm of literature, the name is associated with Ferdinand von Saar (1833-1906), an Austrian writer and poet known for his novellas and short stories exploring themes of love, betrayal, and social commentary.

During the Renaissance period, Ferdinand I (1503-1564), a member of the House of Habsburg, served as the Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 until his death. His reign was marked by religious tensions and conflicts with the Ottoman Empire.

More recently, Ferdinand Piëch (1937-2019), the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, became a prominent figure in the automotive industry, serving as the Chairman of the Volkswagen Group and playing a key role in the company's global expansion.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ferdinand

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

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

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

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