2000
#10,956
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,664
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.99
Rare Last name
Ferrel
A surname of French origin, derived from the Old French word "ferreol," meaning "iron worker" or "blacksmith."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,051 Americans carry the last name Ferrel. That puts it at #11,334 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,342 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ferrel 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.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 112,342
Census rank
#11,334
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,661 bearers of the surname Ferrel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11334th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferrel, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (42.2%) and Black (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ferrel
The surname Ferrel is believed to have originated in medieval France, specifically in the northern regions. It is likely derived from the Old French word "ferreul," which means "little iron worker" or "blacksmith." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to those who worked with iron or practiced blacksmithing.
In the early 12th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Ferreul, Ferroul, and Feroul, in records from the Normandy region. One of the earliest documented instances is a reference to a "Robert Ferreul" in the Cartulary of Savigny Abbey, dated around 1150.
The Ferrel surname can also be traced back to the 13th century, when it was found in the records of the Duchy of Burgundy. For instance, a "Jehan Ferrel" was mentioned in the Chartulary of Cîteaux Abbey in 1267. This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of France by that time.
During the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Ferrel, Ferrell, and Ferrale, in records from the Île-de-France region, which surrounds Paris. One notable individual from this period was Étienne Ferrel, a merchant from Paris who was documented in the city's tax records in 1380.
As the surname spread across Europe, it also found its way to England. In the 15th century, a "John Ferrell" was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk County in 1524. This suggests that the name had been adopted by English families, likely through migration or intermarriage with French immigrants.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ferrel surname in the New World is that of John Ferrell, who was born in England in 1620 and later emigrated to Virginia Colony in the mid-17th century. He is considered one of the earliest bearers of the name in what would become the United States.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Ferrel surname. These include:
1. William Ferrel (1817-1891), an American meteorologist and physicist known for his work on atmospheric circulation and the development of the Ferrel Cell concept.
2. Pierre Ferrel (1601-1669), a French mathematician and astronomer who made contributions to the study of optics and the calculation of eclipses.
3. Bartolomé Ferrel (c. 1530-1590), a Spanish painter and sculptor who worked in the Renaissance style and was active in Seville.
4. John Ferrell (1786-1859), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Virginia in the early 19th century.
5. Jean-Pierre Ferrel (1944-2019), a French actor and director known for his work in theater and television productions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ferrel
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferrel, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (42.2%) and Black (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ferrel 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 Ferrel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.0% · 1,357
- Hispanic or Latino42.2% · 1,122
- Black or African American3.0% · 81
- Two or more races2.3% · 60
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ferrel
Ferrel 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
#10,510
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,054
+390 bearers (+14.6%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Up 446 places
2020
#11,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,661
-393 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 824 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,956 | 2,664 | 0.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,510 | 3,054 | 1.04 | +390 bearers (+14.6%) | Up 446 places |
| 2020 | #11,334 | 2,661 | 0.89 | -393 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 824 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 Ferrel 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 | #10,510 | #11,334 | -7.8% |
| Count | 3,054 | 2,661 | -12.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.04 | 0.89 | -14.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ferrel bearers went from 3,054 to 2,661 (-12.9% change). The surname moved down 824 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,510 to #11,334.
FAQ
Ferrel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ferrel?
Name Census estimates that about 3,051 living Americans carry the surname Ferrel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,342 residents.
How common is Ferrel?
Ferrel ranks #11,334 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,661 people with the surname Ferrel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,051), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ferrel.
Has Ferrel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ferrel went from 3,054 recorded bearers to 2,661. That is a decrease of 393 (-12.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,510 to #11,334.
What does the Census say about the background of Ferrel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferrel, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (42.2%) and Black (3.0%). 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 Ferrel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.0% (1,357 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ferrel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (51.0%), Hispanic (42.2%), Black (3.0%). 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 Ferrel (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 Ferrel mean?
A surname of French origin, derived from the Old French word "ferreol," meaning "iron worker" or "blacksmith." 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 Ferrel (0.89 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 Americans have the surname Ferrel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.