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

Ferrari, 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 Ferrari surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ferrari in America

Ferrari is the 4364th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ferrari surname appeared 8,141 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Ferrari.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ferrari 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 Ferrari

The surname Ferrari is of Italian origin, derived from the Italian word "ferraro," which means "blacksmith" or "ironworker." This occupational surname dates back to the medieval period, when it was first used to identify individuals who worked with iron and forged metal tools and implements.

The name Ferrari is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Italy, particularly in areas such as Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, and Veneto, where the metalworking industry was prominent during the Middle Ages. The earliest known records of the surname Ferrari can be found in the Italian city-states of the 13th and 14th centuries.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Ferrari can be found in the records of the Republic of Genoa, where a certain Oberto Ferrari is mentioned in a document dated 1243. Another early record comes from the city of Modena, where a nobleman named Gherardo Ferrari is recorded in a legal document from 1285.

During the Renaissance period, the name Ferrari gained prominence in various parts of Italy. Notable individuals bearing this surname include the Ferrarese painter Biagio Ferrari, who lived in the 16th century, and the 17th-century Venetian architect and engineer Bartolomeo Ferrari.

In the 19th century, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Ferrari was the Italian composer and violinist Ermanno Ferrari-Cupilli (1828-1915), who was renowned for his operas and orchestral works.

Another noteworthy figure was Benedetto Ferrari (1597-1681), an Italian Jesuit scholar and mathematician who made significant contributions to the fields of geometry and calculus.

Toward the end of the 19th century, the name Ferrari became closely associated with the automotive industry. Enzo Ferrari (1898-1988), the founder of the iconic Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari, was born in Modena and played a pivotal role in establishing the brand's reputation for performance and engineering excellence.

Throughout history, the surname Ferrari has been associated with various professions, ranging from metalworkers and artisans to scholars, engineers, and entrepreneurs, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who bear this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ferrari

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

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

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

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