2000
#7,161
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,298
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.59
Rare Last name
Fernando
A Spanish and Portuguese patronymic surname meaning "son of Fernando," derived from the Germanic name meaning "brave traveler."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,056 Americans carry the last name Fernando. That puts it at #5,465 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,576 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fernando 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 Fernando with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.1K
1 in 48,576
Census rank
#5,465
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,153 bearers of the surname Fernando in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5465th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fernando, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 67.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.6%) and White (6.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fernando
The surname Fernando has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of Spain and Portugal. It is derived from the Germanic personal name Ferdinand, which is composed of the elements "frið" (peace) and "nanþ" (daring, brave). The name gained prominence during the Middle Ages and was popularized by several notable historical figures.
Fernando is a variant of the Spanish and Portuguese form of the name Ferdinand. It first appeared in written records during the 12th century, particularly in documents related to the Reconquista, the medieval period of conflict between Christian and Muslim rulers in the Iberian Peninsula. One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was Fernando Pérez de Traba (c. 1150-1207), a Galician nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the conquest of the Algarve region from the Moors.
In the 13th century, the name Fernando became closely associated with the Castilian monarchy. King Ferdinand III of Castile (1199-1252), also known as Saint Ferdinand, was a prominent figure who united the crowns of Castile and León and played a crucial role in the Reconquista. His achievements contributed to the widespread use of the name Fernando among the Spanish nobility and commoners alike.
During the 15th and 16th centuries, the surname Fernando gained further prominence with the rise of the Spanish Empire. Notable bearers of the name include Fernando de Aragón (1452-1516), a Spanish prince and later Duke of Calabria, and Fernando Álvarez de Toledo (1507-1582), a Spanish nobleman and military commander who served as the Governor of the Spanish Netherlands.
One of the most famous historical figures with the surname Fernando is Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel (1556-1624), better known as Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba. He was a prominent Spanish general and statesman who served as the Governor of the Spanish Netherlands and played a significant role in the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule.
In Portuguese history, the name Fernando is associated with several notable figures, including Fernando Mendes Pinto (c. 1510-1583), a Portuguese explorer and writer known for his travel memoir "Peregrinação," and Fernando Pessoa (1888-1935), a renowned Portuguese poet, writer, and philosopher.
Throughout the centuries, the surname Fernando has been documented in various historical records, including chronicles, genealogical documents, and literary works. Its variants, such as Fernandez and Fernandes, have also been widely used in Spanish and Portuguese-speaking regions, reflecting the cultural and linguistic diversity of the Iberian Peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fernando
Among Census respondents with the surname Fernando, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 67.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.6%) and White (6.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Fernando 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 Fernando surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander67.2% · 4,136
- Hispanic or Latino15.6% · 960
- White6.4% · 392
- Two or more races5.9% · 363
- Black or African American3.2% · 195
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 107
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fernando
Fernando 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
#6,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,596
+1,298 bearers (+30.2%)
Per 100,000 1.90
Rank movement Up 1,038 places
2020
#5,465
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,153
+557 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 2.06
Rank movement Up 658 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,161 | 4,298 | 1.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,123 | 5,596 | 1.90 | +1,298 bearers (+30.2%) | Up 1,038 places |
| 2020 | #5,465 | 6,153 | 2.06 | +557 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 658 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 Fernando 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 | #6,123 | #5,465 | 10.7% |
| Count | 5,596 | 6,153 | 10.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.90 | 2.06 | 8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fernando bearers went from 5,596 to 6,153 (+10.0% change). The surname moved up 658 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,123 to #5,465.
FAQ
Fernando surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fernando?
Name Census estimates that about 7,056 living Americans carry the surname Fernando. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,576 residents.
How common is Fernando?
Fernando ranks #5,465 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,153 people with the surname Fernando. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,056), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Fernando.
Has Fernando become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fernando went from 5,596 recorded bearers to 6,153. That is an increase of 557 (+10.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,123 to #5,465.
What does the Census say about the background of Fernando?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fernando, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 67.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.6%) and White (6.4%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Fernando in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.2% (4,136 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fernando appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (67.2%), Hispanic (15.6%), White (6.4%). 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 Fernando (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 Fernando mean?
A Spanish and Portuguese patronymic surname meaning "son of Fernando," derived from the Germanic name meaning "brave traveler." 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 Fernando (2.06 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 Fernando?
Want to know how many people are called Fernando? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.