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

Ferman, 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 Ferman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ferman in America

Ferman is the 15171st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ferman surname appeared 1,942 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 Ferman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ferman 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 Ferman

The surname Ferman is of German origin, derived from the medieval German word "ferman," which means "carrier" or "porter." It is believed to have originated in the 13th century in the region of Bavaria, where many people were employed as porters or carriers, transporting goods and materials from one place to another.

The name Ferman first appeared in historical records in the late 14th century, with the earliest known record being a mention of a "Johannes Ferman" in the city archives of Nuremberg, dated 1387. It is likely that this individual was a porter or carrier by profession, as the name suggests.

Another early recorded instance of the name can be found in the "Einwohnerbuch" (resident book) of the city of Munich, which lists a "Hans Ferman" as a resident in the year 1431. This document provides valuable insight into the geographical spread of the name within Germany during the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the Ferman surname gained prominence with the birth of Johannes Ferman (1502-1568), a German Protestant theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and actively participated in the spread of Lutheran teachings throughout Germany.

Another notable bearer of the Ferman surname was Friedrich Ferman (1698-1776), a German painter and engraver who was known for his intricate works depicting landscapes and architectural scenes. His paintings and engravings can be found in various museums and art collections across Europe.

In the 19th century, the Ferman surname gained recognition with the birth of Karl Ferman (1830-1901), a German industrialist and entrepreneur who established one of the largest steel manufacturing companies in the region of Saxony. His company played a crucial role in the industrialization of Germany during the latter half of the 19th century.

As the Ferman surname spread across Germany and Europe, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as Fermann, Ferman, and Fermanns. Additionally, the name has been associated with certain place names, such as Fermanville in France and Fermanagh in Ireland, although the direct connection between these place names and the surname is not entirely clear.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ferman

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

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

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

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