Ferras last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Ferras

A surname of Spanish origin derived from the metalworking profession of blacksmiths or farriers.

Ferras, 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 Ferras surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ferras in America

Ferras is the 115034th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ferras surname appeared 152 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 Ferras.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ferras 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 115034 107038 7.20%
Count 152 154 -1.31%
Proportion per 100k 0.05 0.06 -18.18%

The history of the last name Ferras

The surname FERRAS is of French origin, originating in the region of Provence during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old Provençal word "ferras," which means "ironmonger" or a person who works with iron.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname FERRAS can be found in the Cartulaire de Saint-Victor de Marseille, a manuscript dating back to the 12th century. This document mentions a certain Petrus Ferras, who was a landowner in the area of Marseille.

In the 13th century, the name FERRAS appeared in several records from the nearby town of Aix-en-Provence. These records include references to individuals such as Guillelmus Ferras and Raymundus Ferras, suggesting that the name was well-established in the region during this time.

The surname FERRAS may also be linked to certain place names in Provence, such as the village of Ferrasse or the hamlet of Les Ferras, both of which are located in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône. It is possible that the surname originated from these place names or that the places were named after individuals bearing the surname.

One notable bearer of the FERRAS surname was Jean-Baptiste Ferras (1707-1783), a French philosopher and writer who was born in Marseille. He authored several works on ethics and moral philosophy, including "Réflexions sur les vérités de la religion chrétienne" (Reflections on the Truths of the Christian Religion).

Another individual of historical significance was Émile Ferras (1836-1913), a French politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Public Works and later as the Ambassador to Switzerland. He played a significant role in the development of infrastructure projects in France during the late 19th century.

In the 16th century, there are records of a family named FERRAS residing in the town of Châteauneuf-les-Martigues, located near Marseille. One of the members of this family, Antoine Ferras (1542-1616), was a notable merchant and landowner who held several important positions in the local administration.

During the 17th century, the FERRAS surname spread beyond Provence and can be found in records from other regions of France, such as Lyon and Paris. One individual of note was Jacques Ferras (1628-1699), a French lawyer and judge who served as a counselor at the Parlement of Paris, one of the most prestigious judicial bodies of the time.

In the 18th century, a branch of the FERRAS family settled in the city of Nîmes, located in the region of Languedoc. One of the descendants, Pierre Ferras (1742-1812), became a respected physician and was appointed as the personal doctor to the Prince of Conti, a member of the French royal family.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ferras

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

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 Ferras was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 25.66% 39
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 4.61% 7
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 67.76% 103

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 Ferras has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 25.66% 32.47% -23.43%
Black 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 4.61% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% 8.44% (S)%
Hispanic 67.76% 58.44% 14.77%

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

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

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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!

"Ferras last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/ferras-surname-popularity/.

"Ferras last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/ferras-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Ferras last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/ferras-surname-popularity/.

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