2000
#1,465
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,320
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.27
Uncommon Last name
Ferreira
A Portuguese occupational surname referring to someone who worked with iron, such as a blacksmith or ironworker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 33,405 Americans carry the last name Ferreira. That puts it at #1,183 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 10,261 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ferreira 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 Ferreira with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
33K
1 in 10,261
Census rank
#1,183
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
29K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 29,131 bearers of the surname Ferreira in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1183rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferreira, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (25.4%) and Black (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ferreira
The surname FERREIRA originated in Portugal and Spain during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin word "ferrarius", which means "blacksmith" or "worker of iron". The name was initially used as an occupational surname for those who worked as blacksmiths or in the iron industry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the FERREIRA surname can be found in the Livro Velho de Linhagens (Old Book of Lineages), a Portuguese genealogical record dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions several individuals with the FERREIRA surname, suggesting that the name was already well-established in Portugal by that time.
In Spain, the FERREIRA surname can be traced back to the 14th century, with records indicating its presence in various regions, including Galicia, Asturias, and Castile. The name was sometimes spelled as "Ferreiro" or "Herrero" in Spanish documents.
Historically, the FERREIRA surname has been associated with several notable figures. One of the earliest was Gil Ferreira, a 13th-century Portuguese knight who participated in the Reconquista, the campaign to reclaim Iberian territories from Moorish rule. Another prominent individual was João Ferreira, a 15th-century Portuguese explorer and navigator who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his historic voyage to India in 1498.
In the 16th century, the FERREIRA surname gained further prominence with the birth of António Ferreira (1528-1569), a renowned Portuguese poet and playwright often referred to as the "Portuguese Horace". His works, which included tragedies and comedies, were influential in the development of Portuguese Renaissance literature.
During the 17th century, the FERREIRA surname was carried to various parts of the world by Portuguese and Spanish explorers, settlers, and missionaries. Notably, Cristóvão Ferreira (1580-1650), a Portuguese Jesuit missionary, played a significant role in the early evangelization efforts in Japan.
Another notable figure was Manuel Ferreira de Eça (1675-1743), a Portuguese architect and military engineer who designed several fortifications and buildings in Brazil during the colonial period, including the Fortaleza de Santa Cruz in Niterói.
As the FERREIRA surname spread across the globe, it became associated with various place names and geographical locations. For example, in Brazil, there is a city called Ferreira Gomes in the state of Amapá, and a municipality called Ferreiros in the state of Pernambuco, both likely named after individuals with the FERREIRA surname.
Throughout its history, the FERREIRA surname has maintained its connection to the iron industry and metalworking professions. However, it has also been embraced by individuals from various backgrounds and walks of life, reflecting the diverse tapestry of cultures and societies in which it has taken root.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ferreira
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferreira, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (25.4%) and Black (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ferreira 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 Ferreira surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.0% · 18,948
- Hispanic or Latino25.4% · 7,400
- Black or African American3.6% · 1,056
- Two or more races3.3% · 968
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.2% · 630
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 129
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ferreira
Ferreira 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
#1,260
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,898
+5,578 bearers (+25.0%)
Per 100,000 9.46
Rank movement Up 205 places
2020
#1,183
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 29,131
+1,233 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 9.75
Rank movement Up 77 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,465 | 22,320 | 8.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,260 | 27,898 | 9.46 | +5,578 bearers (+25.0%) | Up 205 places |
| 2020 | #1,183 | 29,131 | 9.75 | +1,233 bearers (+4.4%) | Up 77 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 Ferreira 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 | #1,260 | #1,183 | 6.1% |
| Count | 27,898 | 29,131 | 4.4% |
| Per 100K | 9.46 | 9.75 | 3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ferreira bearers went from 27,898 to 29,131 (+4.4% change). The surname moved up 77 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,260 to #1,183.
FAQ
Ferreira surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ferreira?
Name Census estimates that about 33,405 living Americans carry the surname Ferreira. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 10,261 residents.
How common is Ferreira?
Ferreira ranks #1,183 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.75 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 29,131 people with the surname Ferreira. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (33,405), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.75 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Ferreira.
Has Ferreira become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ferreira went from 27,898 recorded bearers to 29,131. That is an increase of 1,233 (+4.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,260 to #1,183.
What does the Census say about the background of Ferreira?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferreira, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (25.4%) and Black (3.6%). 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 Ferreira in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.0% (18,948 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ferreira appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.0%), Hispanic (25.4%), Black (3.6%). 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 Ferreira (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 Ferreira mean?
A Portuguese occupational surname referring to someone who worked with iron, such as a blacksmith or ironworker. 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 Ferreira (9.75 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 many people share the surname Ferreira?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.