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

Ferree, 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 Ferree surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ferree in America

Ferree is the 10649th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ferree surname appeared 3,004 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ferree.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ferree 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 Ferree

The surname Ferree is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "ferriere" or "ferriere," which means "ironworks" or "iron mine." It is believed to have originated in the Normandy region of France during the Middle Ages, where many of the earliest recorded bearers of the name were likely involved in the iron industry.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ferree surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Ferrer," which was a common Norman variation of the name at the time.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, the Ferree name began to spread across Europe, with bearers of the name settling in various regions, including the Low Countries, Germany, and England. In these regions, the name often took on slightly different spellings, such as "Ferrier," "Ferrieres," and "Ferrees."

One notable individual with the Ferree surname was Jean Ferree (1505-1570), a French Protestant theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in France. Another was Marie Ferree (1630-1698), a French Huguenot who fled religious persecution in France and settled in the American colonies, becoming one of the earliest Ferree settlers in North America.

In the United States, the Ferree surname has been present since the early colonial era. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Daniel Ferree (1650-1737), a French Huguenot who immigrated to Pennsylvania in the late 17th century and established a settlement known as Ferree's Manor.

Another notable figure was Benjamin Ferree (1789-1858), an American architect and civil engineer who designed several important buildings in Philadelphia, including the Second Bank of the United States and the Philadelphia Exchange.

Throughout history, the Ferree surname has been associated with various place names, particularly in France, where towns and villages such as Ferrières and Ferrières-la-Verrerie bear the name's influence. Additionally, the name has been linked to the iron industry, with many early bearers likely involved in mining, smelting, or working with iron in some capacity.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ferree

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

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

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

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