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

Ferg, 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 Ferg surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ferg in America

Ferg is the 48901st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ferg surname appeared 431 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 Ferg.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ferg 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 Ferg

The surname FERG is believed to have originated in Scotland and Ireland, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "fearg," which means "anger" or "wrath," and may have been initially used as a descriptive name or nickname.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name FERG can be found in the Annals of Ulster, an ancient chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1164, the text references a person named "Fearghal Mac Duinnshleibhe," which translates to "Fergal son of Donnsleibhe."

The surname FERG is also believed to have connections to various place names in Scotland and Ireland, such as Fergus in Ayrshire, Scotland, and Ferg in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

In the 13th century, the name FERG appeared in the Ragman Rolls, a series of historical documents that recorded the names of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. One notable entry is "Fergus de Ardrossan," who hailed from the town of Ardrossan in Ayrshire, Scotland.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname FERG. In the 14th century, Fergus of Galloway was a Scottish nobleman and one of the first recorded individuals to use the surname. Another prominent figure was Sir Adam Ferg, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century.

In the 16th century, William Ferg (c. 1500-1570) was a Scottish diplomat and scholar who served as the ambassador to France during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots. In the 18th century, James Ferg (1715-1789) was a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.

Moving into the 19th century, Alexander Ferg (1810-1892) was a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Canadian Parliament. Additionally, John Ferg (1837-1916) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist who founded the Ferg Steel Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

These examples illustrate the long-standing presence and historical significance of the surname FERG, which has its roots in the Gaelic language and culture of Scotland and Ireland, spanning several centuries and encompassing individuals from various walks of life.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ferg

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

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

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

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