2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fermanian
An Armenian surname likely derived from the place name "Ferman".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Fermanian. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fermanian 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Fermanian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fermanian, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fermanian
The surname Fermanian is of Armenian origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period in the historical region of Armenia. The name is derived from the Armenian word "ferman," which means "decree" or "order," suggesting that the original bearers of this surname may have been individuals who held an official position or carried out decrees on behalf of a ruler or authority.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Fermanian can be found in Armenian manuscripts and historical records from the 13th century. During this time, the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia flourished, and it is possible that the name Fermanian emerged within the administrative or clerical ranks of this kingdom.
One notable early bearer of the name was Vardan Fermanian, a prominent Armenian scholar and philosopher who lived in the late 14th century. His works on theology and metaphysics were widely studied and influential during his time.
In the 16th century, the name Fermanian appears in records from the city of Aleppo, which was home to a significant Armenian community at the time. This suggests that the name had spread beyond the boundaries of historical Armenia and was being adopted by Armenian diaspora communities.
Another significant figure bearing the Fermanian surname was Harutyun Fermanian, an Armenian poet and writer who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His literary works, including poetry and plays, played a crucial role in the preservation and promotion of Armenian culture and language during a period of Ottoman rule.
The 19th century saw the emergence of several notable individuals with the Fermanian surname. Yeghishe Fermanian (1822-1887) was a prominent Armenian educator and writer who contributed significantly to the development of Armenian literature and education. Additionally, Hovhannes Fermanian (1856-1920) was a renowned Armenian painter and art teacher, whose works captured the cultural and historical essence of Armenia.
It is worth noting that variations of the spelling, such as Fermanyan or Fermanians, may have existed in different regions or time periods, reflecting regional dialects or linguistic adaptations.
While the Fermanian surname has its origins in medieval Armenia, it has since spread across the Armenian diaspora and can be found among Armenian communities worldwide, carrying the legacy of its historical and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fermanian
Among Census respondents with the surname Fermanian, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Fermanian 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 Fermanian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino9.1% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fermanian
Fermanian 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
+20 bearers (+18.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,377 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-8 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,930 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | +20 bearers (+18.3%) | Up 9,377 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 9,930 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 Fermanian 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 | #131,379 | #141,309 | -7.6% |
| Count | 129 | 121 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fermanian bearers went from 129 to 121 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 9,930 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #141,309.
FAQ
Fermanian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fermanian?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Fermanian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Fermanian?
Fermanian ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 121 people with the surname Fermanian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Fermanian.
Has Fermanian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fermanian went from 129 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Fermanian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fermanian, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Fermanian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fermanian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Hispanic (9.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Fermanian (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 Fermanian mean?
An Armenian surname likely derived from the place name "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 Fermanian (0.04 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 have the last name Fermanian?
See how many people have the surname Fermanian on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.