2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Ferk
An Americanized spelling variation of a German surname denoting someone of lively or boisterous temperament.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Ferk. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ferk 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.
Bearers in the US
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Ferk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferk, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ferk
The surname "FERK" is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots dating back to the 16th century. The name is thought to derive from the Old German word "ferken," meaning "young pig" or "piglet." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked with pigs or was associated with the pig farming industry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "FERK" can be found in the parish records of the town of Wittenberg, Germany, dating back to the late 1500s. The name appears to have been particularly concentrated in the regions of Saxony and Thuringia, where it was commonly borne by individuals engaged in agricultural pursuits.
In the 17th century, the surname "FERK" was also documented in various German court records and legal documents, indicating that individuals bearing this name held positions of authority and influence within their communities. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Johann Ferk, a respected magistrate in the city of Leipzig, who lived from 1625 to 1697.
As the centuries progressed, the surname "FERK" began to spread beyond the borders of Germany, with bearers of the name migrating to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. In the 18th century, records show that a family by the name of Ferk settled in the Pennsylvania Dutch region of the United States, where they established themselves as prosperous farmers and landowners.
Another noteworthy individual bearing the surname "FERK" was Karl Ferk, a German-born artist and engraver who lived from 1822 to 1892. His intricate etchings and engravings depicting landscapes and architectural scenes gained him recognition throughout Europe during his lifetime.
In the 19th century, the name "FERK" also gained prominence in the field of academia, with Hans Ferk (1845-1921), a renowned German philologist and author, making significant contributions to the study of ancient languages and literature.
While the surname "FERK" is not among the most widespread names globally, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and can be traced back to its humble beginnings as an occupational name in the heart of Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ferk
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferk, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ferk 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 Ferk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 100
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ferk
Ferk appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,442 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 4,442 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 Ferk 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 | #159,712 | #155,270 | 2.8% |
| Count | 101 | 101 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ferk bearers went from 101 to 101 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 4,442 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #155,270.
FAQ
Ferk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ferk?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Ferk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Ferk?
Ferk ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Ferk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ferk.
Has Ferk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ferk went from 101 recorded bearers to 101. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Ferk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferk, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ferk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ferk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Ferk (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 Ferk mean?
An Americanized spelling variation of a German surname denoting someone of lively or boisterous temperament. 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 Ferk (0.03 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 many Americans have the surname Ferk?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.