2000
#17,030
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,538
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.57
Rare Last name
Ferman
A Jewish occupational surname referring to a taxi driver or chauffeur, derived from the Yiddish word "ferman."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,542 Americans carry the last name Ferman. That puts it at #13,200 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 134,836 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ferman 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ferman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 134,836
Census rank
#13,200
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,217 bearers of the surname Ferman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13200th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferman, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 62.9%. The next largest groups are White (30.9%) and Black (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ferman
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferman, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 62.9%. The next largest groups are White (30.9%) and Black (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Ferman 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 Ferman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino62.9% · 1,394
- White30.9% · 686
- Black or African American3.2% · 70
- Two or more races1.7% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ferman
Ferman appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#15,171
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,942
+404 bearers (+26.3%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Up 1,859 places
2020
#13,200
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,217
+275 bearers (+14.2%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 1,971 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,030 | 1,538 | 0.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,171 | 1,942 | 0.66 | +404 bearers (+26.3%) | Up 1,859 places |
| 2020 | #13,200 | 2,217 | 0.74 | +275 bearers (+14.2%) | Up 1,971 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 Ferman 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 | #15,171 | #13,200 | 13.0% |
| Count | 1,942 | 2,217 | 14.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.66 | 0.74 | 12.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ferman bearers went from 1,942 to 2,217 (+14.2% change). The surname moved up 1,971 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,171 to #13,200.
FAQ
Ferman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ferman?
Name Census estimates that about 2,542 living Americans carry the surname Ferman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 134,836 residents.
How common is Ferman?
Ferman ranks #13,200 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,217 people with the surname Ferman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,542), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ferman.
Has Ferman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ferman went from 1,942 recorded bearers to 2,217. That is an increase of 275 (+14.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,171 to #13,200.
What does the Census say about the background of Ferman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferman, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 62.9%. The next largest groups are White (30.9%) and Black (3.2%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ferman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.9% (1,394 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ferman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (62.9%), White (30.9%), Black (3.2%). 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 Ferman (2000, 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 Ferman mean?
A Jewish occupational surname referring to a taxi driver or chauffeur, derived from the Yiddish word "ferman." 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 Ferman (0.74 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 people are called Ferman?
Want to know how many people have the last name Ferman? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.