2000
#5,062
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,355
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.36
Rare Last name
Ferrante
An Italian occupational surname referring to a smith or iron worker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,041 Americans carry the last name Ferrante. That puts it at #5,472 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,680 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ferrante 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 Ferrante with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.0K
1 in 48,680
Census rank
#5,472
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,140 bearers of the surname Ferrante in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5472nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferrante, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ferrante
The surname Ferrante has its origins in Italy, dating back to medieval times. It is derived from the Italian word "ferrante," which means "iron worker" or "blacksmith." This occupational surname was likely given to individuals who worked with iron, forging tools, weapons, or other metal implements.
The earliest recorded instances of the Ferrante surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Ferrante di Napoli, a blacksmith who lived in Naples in the late 13th century.
During the Renaissance period, the Ferrante name gained prominence with several notable figures. One of the most renowned was Ferrante d'Aragona (1452-1494), also known as Ferrante I, who was the King of Naples from 1458 until his death. He played a significant role in the Italian Wars and was known for his military prowess and political acumen.
Another historical figure with the Ferrante surname was Antonio Ferrante (c. 1490-1550), an Italian humanist scholar and poet. He was a prominent figure in the literary circles of his time and was renowned for his Latin poetry and translations.
In the 16th century, the Ferrante surname was also associated with the arts. Giovan Battista Ferrante (c. 1530-1600) was an Italian painter and architect who worked in Naples and Messina. His works included religious paintings and architectural designs for churches and palaces.
Moving into the 17th century, the Ferrante name continued to be found among notable individuals. Giulio Cesare Ferrante (1607-1685) was an Italian composer and organist who served as the maestro di cappella at the Basilica of St. Peter's in Rome.
Throughout its history, the Ferrante surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who bore this name. While its origins lie in the metalworking trade, the Ferrante surname has left an indelible mark across different fields, including politics, arts, literature, and music.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ferrante
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferrante, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Ferrante 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 Ferrante surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 5,516
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 369
- Two or more races2.4% · 148
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 71
- Black or African American0.5% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ferrante
Ferrante 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
#5,333
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,532
+177 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 2.21
Rank movement Down 271 places
2020
#5,472
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,140
-392 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 2.05
Rank movement Down 139 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,062 | 6,355 | 2.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,333 | 6,532 | 2.21 | +177 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 271 places |
| 2020 | #5,472 | 6,140 | 2.05 | -392 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 139 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 Ferrante 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 | #5,333 | #5,472 | -2.6% |
| Count | 6,532 | 6,140 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.21 | 2.05 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ferrante bearers went from 6,532 to 6,140 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 139 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,333 to #5,472.
FAQ
Ferrante surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ferrante?
Name Census estimates that about 7,041 living Americans carry the surname Ferrante. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,680 residents.
How common is Ferrante?
Ferrante ranks #5,472 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.05 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 6,140 people with the surname Ferrante. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,041), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.05 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 Ferrante.
Has Ferrante become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ferrante went from 6,532 recorded bearers to 6,140. That is a decrease of 392 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,333 to #5,472.
What does the Census say about the background of Ferrante?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferrante, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ferrante in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (5,516 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ferrante appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (6.0%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Ferrante (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 Ferrante mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a smith or iron worker. 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 Ferrante (2.05 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 common is the surname Ferrante?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Ferrante at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.