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

Fergus, 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 Fergus surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fergus in America

Fergus is the 15758th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fergus surname appeared 1,850 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 Fergus.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fergus 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 Fergus

The surname Fergus originated in Scotland. It is derived from the Gaelic name Fearghas, which means "man of force" or "virile". The name can be traced back to the 5th century AD and is believed to have originated in the Scottish Highlands.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Fergus dates back to the 12th century. It appears in the Book of Deer, an illuminated manuscript that contains the oldest surviving Gaelic writing from Scotland. The manuscript mentions a man named Fergus, who was a cleric in the monastery of Deer in Aberdeenshire.

In the 13th century, the name Fergus appeared in the Ragman Rolls, a series of historical documents that recorded the submission of Scottish nobles to King Edward I of England. One of the signatories was a certain Fergus de Ardrossan, a landholder from Ayrshire.

The Fergus surname has also been linked to several notable figures throughout history. One of the most famous was Fergus Mor MacErc, a legendary king of Dál Riata who is said to have lived in the 6th century AD. According to tradition, he was the first king of Scottish descent to rule in Scotland.

Another notable Fergus was Fergus of Galloway, a 12th-century prince who ruled over the region of Galloway in southwestern Scotland. He is mentioned in various historical chronicles and is known for his involvement in the political struggles of the time.

In the 15th century, a man named Fergus MacDowall was the chief of the Clan MacDougall, a prominent Scottish clan based in Argyll. He played a significant role in the Wars of Scottish Independence against the English.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Fergus surname in North America dates back to the 18th century. In 1773, a man named John Fergus emigrated from Scotland to Virginia, where he became a prominent landowner and civic leader.

The Fergus surname has also been associated with several place names in Scotland. The town of Ferguslie in Renfrewshire is believed to have been named after a person named Fergus, while the village of Fergushill in Ayrshire may have a similar origin.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fergus

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

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

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

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