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

Fernelius, 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 Fernelius surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fernelius in America

Fernelius is the 59017th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fernelius surname appeared 343 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Fernelius.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fernelius 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 Fernelius

The surname FERNELIUS originated in the rolling hills of the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy during the late 13th century. It is derived from the Latin word "fernel," which means "freckled" or "speckled." This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed as a nickname upon someone with a freckled complexion.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in a 1297 land deed from the town of Modena, where a certain Guido Fernelius is listed as a witness. Another early reference can be found in the municipal archives of Bologna, which mention a Giovanni Fernelius who served as a minor judicial clerk in 1315.

By the mid-14th century, the FERNELIUS name had spread across northern Italy, appearing in records from cities like Milan, Verona, and Venice. In 1376, a wealthy merchant named Francesco Fernelius is documented as having sponsored the construction of a small chapel in his hometown of Parma.

During the Renaissance, the FERNELIUS family produced several notable figures, including the renowned physician and scholar Giovanni Fernelio (1497-1558). Born in Amelia, he studied medicine at the University of Bologna and later served as the personal physician to several popes, including Paul III and Julius III. Fernelio was also a prolific author, publishing influential works on pathology, anatomy, and medical ethics.

Another prominent bearer of the FERNELIUS name was the 16th-century sculptor and architect Giacomo Fernelio (1520-1587). He is best known for his work on the Cathedral of Modena, where he designed the intricate marble facade and supervised its construction over several decades.

In the 17th century, a branch of the FERNELIUS family settled in the Venetian Republic, where they became successful merchants and traders. One of their descendants, Matteo Fernelius (1631-1692), was a renowned navigator and explorer who charted several previously unknown islands in the Adriatic Sea.

As the FERNELIUS name spread across Europe in subsequent centuries, it underwent various spelling variations, including Fernelli, Fernellius, and Fernellio. However, the original Italian form of FERNELIUS has endured as the primary spelling used by most branches of the family.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fernelius

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!