2000
#25,524
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 909
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.34
Rare Last name
Ferrick
Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Fearghas" meaning "man of force, vigorous."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,015 Americans carry the last name Ferrick. That puts it at #28,625 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 337,689 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ferrick 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
1.0K
1 in 337,689
Census rank
#28,625
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
885
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 885 bearers of the surname Ferrick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 28625th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferrick, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ferrick
The surname Ferrick is of Scottish origin, with records indicating its use dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the Lowlands region of Scotland, possibly derived from the old Scots word "ferrick," meaning a small ferry or boat crossing.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Registers of the Presbytery of St. Andrews, where a John Ferrick is mentioned in an entry from 1589. Another early record comes from the Parish Registers of Crail, Fife, which lists the christening of a child named Isobel Ferrick in 1612.
The surname Ferrick is thought to have evolved from various place names, such as Ferryden or Ferryhill, which were locations known for their proximity to water crossings or ferry services. This connection to water-based transportation is a common theme in the origin of many Scottish surnames.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the Ferrick surname was William Ferrick, a merchant and burgess of Aberdeen, who was recorded in the town's council registers between 1640 and 1660.
During the 18th century, the Ferrick family seemed to have a presence in the Perthshire region of Scotland. Church records from the parish of Muckhart mention the baptism of several children with the surname Ferrick, including Isobel Ferrick in 1736 and John Ferrick in 1742.
One of the most prominent individuals with the Ferrick surname was James Ferrick, a Scottish architect who lived from 1766 to 1838. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the iconic St. Andrew's Church on George Street.
Another noteworthy figure was Robert Ferrick, a Scottish soldier and military engineer who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Born in 1785, he was involved in the construction of fortifications and defensive structures throughout Europe and the Caribbean.
In the 19th century, the Ferrick surname also appeared in records from the Scottish Borders region, where a family bearing the name was recorded in the parish of Melrose in the 1830s and 1840s.
Overall, the surname Ferrick has a rich history deeply rooted in Scotland, with connections to various regions and a strong association with water-based transportation and ferry services in its origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ferrick
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferrick, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Ferrick 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 Ferrick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 822
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 25
- Two or more races2.5% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 11
- Black or African American0.5% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ferrick
Ferrick 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
#34,539
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 655
-254 bearers (-27.9%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 9,015 places
2020
#28,625
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 885
+230 bearers (+35.1%)
Per 100,000 0.30
Rank movement Up 5,914 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,524 | 909 | 0.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #34,539 | 655 | 0.22 | -254 bearers (-27.9%) | Down 9,015 places |
| 2020 | #28,625 | 885 | 0.30 | +230 bearers (+35.1%) | Up 5,914 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 Ferrick 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 | #34,539 | #28,625 | 17.1% |
| Count | 655 | 885 | 35.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.30 | 34.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ferrick bearers went from 655 to 885 (+35.1% change). The surname moved up 5,914 positions in the national ranking, going from #34,539 to #28,625.
FAQ
Ferrick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ferrick?
Name Census estimates that about 1,015 living Americans carry the surname Ferrick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 337,689 residents.
How common is Ferrick?
Ferrick ranks #28,625 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.30 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 885 people with the surname Ferrick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,015), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.30 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ferrick.
Has Ferrick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ferrick went from 655 recorded bearers to 885. That is an increase of 230 (+35.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #34,539 to #28,625.
What does the Census say about the background of Ferrick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferrick, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Ferrick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (822 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ferrick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Ferrick (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 Ferrick mean?
Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Fearghas" meaning "man of force, vigorous." 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 Ferrick (0.30 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 have the surname Ferrick?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.