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

Ferreiro, 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 Ferreiro surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ferreiro in America

Ferreiro is the 37229th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ferreiro surname appeared 599 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 Ferreiro.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ferreiro 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 Ferreiro

The surname Ferreiro has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of Galicia, Spain and northern Portugal. It is believed to have emerged during the early Middle Ages, likely between the 8th and 10th centuries. The name is derived from the Latin word "ferrarius," which means "blacksmith" or "worker of iron." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely involved in metalworking or smithing professions.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Ferreiro can be found in the "Tombo de Celanova," a medieval cartulary from the Galician monastery of Celanova, dating back to the 11th century. This manuscript contains several mentions of individuals with the surname Ferreiro or its variants, such as Ferreira or Ferrero, indicating their presence in the region during that time period.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, the surname Ferreiro began to appear more frequently in historical records across the Iberian Peninsula. Notable individuals from this era include Rodrigo Ferreiro, a prominent nobleman and landowner in the Kingdom of León in the late 12th century, and Martín Ferreiro, a Galician scholar and clergyman who served as the Bishop of Tuy in the mid-13th century.

As the centuries progressed, the surname Ferreiro continued to spread and establish itself in various regions of Spain and Portugal. In the 15th century, Pedro Ferreiro was a respected architect and stonemason who contributed to the construction of several notable buildings in Seville, Spain. During the 16th century, Fernão Ferreiro was a renowned Portuguese navigator and explorer who accompanied Pedro Álvares Cabral on his voyage to Brazil in 1500.

The surname Ferreiro has also been associated with various place names throughout the Iberian Peninsula. For example, the village of Ferreiros in Galicia, Spain, and the parish of Ferreiros in the municipality of Braga, Portugal, both derive their names from the presence of blacksmiths or ironworkers in those locations.

In more recent history, several individuals with the surname Ferreiro have achieved notable recognition. Celso Emilio Ferreiro (1912-1979) was a celebrated Galician poet and writer who played a significant role in the revival of Galician literature during the 20th century. Ramón Ferreiro (1939-2021) was a renowned Spanish author and journalist, known for his contributions to the Galician literary scene.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ferreiro

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

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

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

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