Find out how popular the last name Ferger is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ferger.
A habitational surname derived from a placename associated with ferns or fern-covered areas.
Ferger, 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 Ferger surname is from the 2010 census data.
Ferger is the 51830th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Ferger surname appeared 401 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 Ferger.
We can also compare 2010 data for Ferger 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.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 51830 | 44895 | 14.34% |
| Count | 401 | 450 | -11.52% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.14 | 0.17 | -19.35% |
The surname Ferger has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "fergen," which means "to transport" or "to ferry." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to individuals whose trade involved transporting goods or people across bodies of water.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ferger can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony. In a charter dated 1198, a certain "Henricus Ferger" is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction. This provides evidence that the name was already in use by the end of the 12th century.
During the Middle Ages, the Ferger surname was particularly prevalent in the region of Silesia, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire. Several historical records from this area, including the Liber Fundationis Claustri Sanctae Mariae Virginis in Heinrichau, a 14th-century manuscript, contain references to individuals bearing the name Ferger.
In the 16th century, a prominent Ferger family emerged in the city of Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland). One notable member was Johann Ferger (1512-1589), a wealthy merchant and landowner who served as a councilor and alderman in the city. His son, Matthias Ferger (1541-1609), followed in his footsteps and became a successful businessman and civic leader.
Another distinguished figure with the Ferger surname was Christoph Ferger (1615-1680), a Lutheran theologian and rector of the University of Wittenberg. He authored several scholarly works on theology and philosophy and was highly regarded in academic circles of his time.
In the 19th century, the Ferger name gained recognition through the achievements of Gustav Ferger (1808-1884), a German landscape painter renowned for his depictions of the Bavarian Alps. His works are displayed in numerous art galleries across Europe and have been celebrated for their technical mastery and artistic vision.
Throughout its history, the surname Ferger has also been associated with various place names, such as Fergershausen, a village in Thuringia, Germany, and Fergersheim, a municipality in Alsace, France. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the Ferger surname who settled in these locations.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ferger.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ferger was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 94.51% | 379 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 1.50% | 6 |
| Hispanic Origin | 2.99% | 12 |
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 Ferger has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.51% | 97.33% | -2.94% |
| Black | (S)% | 0.00% | (S)% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | 0.00% | (S)% |
| Two or More Races | 1.50% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Hispanic | 2.99% | 1.33% | 76.85% |
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 Ferger was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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