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

Ferra, 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 Ferra surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ferra in America

Ferra is the 27002nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ferra surname appeared 898 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 Ferra.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ferra 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 Ferra

The surname Ferra is believed to have originated in Italy, likely during the medieval period. The name stems from the Latin word "ferrum," which means iron or iron ore, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been involved in iron mining, blacksmithing, or metalworking professions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ferra surname can be found in the archives of the Republic of Venice, dated back to the 13th century. These records mention a family of metalworkers who bore the name Ferra, indicating their association with iron and metalwork trades.

During the Renaissance period, the Ferra family gained prominence in the city of Ferrara, located in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is believed that the city's name, Ferrara, may have influenced or been influenced by the Ferra surname, as both share a similar root word related to iron.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Ferra surname was Giovanni Battista Ferra (1543-1612), an Italian mathematician and astronomer. He was known for his contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the development of astronomical instruments.

Another historical figure with the Ferra surname was Antonio Ferra (1677-1744), an Italian painter and engraver from the city of Bologna. His works were widely acclaimed during his lifetime, and some of his paintings can be found in museums and galleries across Italy.

Moving forward to the 18th century, the Ferra family had also established a presence in the Kingdom of Naples. Records from this period mention a nobleman named Ferdinando Ferra (1732-1801), who held significant land and properties in the region.

In the 19th century, a prominent member of the Ferra family was Giuseppe Ferra (1815-1886), an Italian politician and lawyer. He served as a deputy in the Parliament of the Kingdom of Italy and was known for his advocacy of civil rights and constitutional reforms.

Throughout history, the Ferra surname has been associated with various occupations related to metalworking, mining, and iron production. While the name originated in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ferra

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

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

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

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