2000
#12,616
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,251
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Ferdinand
Derived from a Germanic name meaning "bold voyager" or "brave traveler," originally bestowed as a nickname.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,225 Americans carry the last name Ferdinand. That puts it at #10,821 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 106,280 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ferdinand surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ferdinand with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 106,280
Census rank
#10,821
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,812 bearers of the surname Ferdinand in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10821st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferdinand, the largest self-reported group is Black at 55.6%. The next largest groups are White (31.2%) and Hispanic (7.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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The earliest known historical reference to the surname dates back to the 9th century, when a Frankish nobleman named FERDINAND was mentioned in the Annales Regni Francorum, a chronicle of the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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ferdinand
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferdinand, the largest self-reported group is Black at 55.6%. The next largest groups are White (31.2%) and Hispanic (7.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Ferdinand bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ferdinand surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American55.6% · 1,564
- White31.2% · 878
- Hispanic or Latino7.4% · 208
- Two or more races4.0% · 113
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 46
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ferdinand
Ferdinand appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,653
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,690
+439 bearers (+19.5%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Up 963 places
2020
#10,821
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,812
+122 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Up 832 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,616 | 2,251 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,653 | 2,690 | 0.91 | +439 bearers (+19.5%) | Up 963 places |
| 2020 | #10,821 | 2,812 | 0.94 | +122 bearers (+4.5%) | Up 832 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ferdinand surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,653 | #10,821 | 7.1% |
| Count | 2,690 | 2,812 | 4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.91 | 0.94 | 3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ferdinand bearers went from 2,690 to 2,812 (+4.5% change). The surname moved up 832 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,653 to #10,821.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ferdinand
FAQ
Ferdinand surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ferdinand?
Name Census estimates that about 3,225 living Americans carry the surname Ferdinand. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 106,280 residents.
How common is Ferdinand?
Ferdinand ranks #10,821 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,812 people with the surname Ferdinand. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,225), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ferdinand.
Has Ferdinand become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ferdinand went from 2,690 recorded bearers to 2,812. That is an increase of 122 (+4.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,653 to #10,821.
What does the Census say about the background of Ferdinand?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferdinand, the largest self-reported group is Black at 55.6%. The next largest groups are White (31.2%) and Hispanic (7.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ferdinand in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.6% (1,564 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ferdinand appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (55.6%), White (31.2%), Hispanic (7.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ferdinand (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ferdinand mean?
Derived from a Germanic name meaning "bold voyager" or "brave traveler," originally bestowed as a nickname. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ferdinand (0.94 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Ferdinand?
If you just want to know how common the surname Ferdinand is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.