2000
#9,013
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,334
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Ferrier
An occupational surname referring to a craftsman who shoes horses.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,605 Americans carry the last name Ferrier. That puts it at #9,823 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 95,077 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ferrier 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 Ferrier with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 95,077
Census rank
#9,823
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,144 bearers of the surname Ferrier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9823rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferrier, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ferrier
The surname Ferrier is of French origin, derived from the Old French word 'ferrier', meaning a blacksmith or worker of iron. It is believed to have emerged in the late 11th century, around the time of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
The name is thought to have originated in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Brittany. These areas were known for their metalworking and ironworking industries, which likely contributed to the emergence of the occupational surname Ferrier.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as 'Ferrarius', a latinized version of the French 'ferrier', indicating the presence of individuals with this occupation in England shortly after the Norman Conquest.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as 'Ferrer', 'Ferour', and 'Feror', reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Robert le Ferrier, a prominent landowner in Nottinghamshire, England, who was mentioned in records from the year 1275.
The Ferrier surname can also be traced to various place names in France, such as Ferrières, which means 'iron works' or 'iron mines'. This further reinforces the connection between the name and the metalworking trade.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Ferrier surname. One example is Jean Ferrier (1489-1550), a French jurist and philosopher who served as the Chancellor of France during the reign of King Francis I. Another notable bearer of the name was Arnaud Ferrier (1506-1585), a French lawyer and diplomat who played a significant role in the French Wars of Religion.
In England, the Ferrier family can be traced back to the 16th century. One prominent member was Sir Walter Ferrier (1555-1629), an English courtier and diplomat who served under Queen Elizabeth I and King James I.
Other notable individuals with the Ferrier surname include James Frederick Ferrier (1808-1864), a Scottish philosopher and metaphysician, and Jean-Baptiste Ferrier (1866-1936), a French sculptor and medalist.
Overall, the Ferrier surname has a rich history rooted in the metalworking and ironworking trades of medieval France, with branches spreading throughout Europe and beyond, leaving a lasting legacy in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ferrier
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferrier, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ferrier 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 Ferrier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.8% · 2,572
- Black or African American8.0% · 253
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 148
- Two or more races3.7% · 116
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ferrier
Ferrier 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
#8,959
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,654
+320 bearers (+9.6%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Up 54 places
2020
#9,823
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,144
-510 bearers (-14.0%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 864 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,013 | 3,334 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,959 | 3,654 | 1.24 | +320 bearers (+9.6%) | Up 54 places |
| 2020 | #9,823 | 3,144 | 1.05 | -510 bearers (-14.0%) | Down 864 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 Ferrier 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 | #8,959 | #9,823 | -9.6% |
| Count | 3,654 | 3,144 | -14.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.24 | 1.05 | -15.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ferrier bearers went from 3,654 to 3,144 (-14.0% change). The surname moved down 864 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,959 to #9,823.
FAQ
Ferrier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ferrier?
Name Census estimates that about 3,605 living Americans carry the surname Ferrier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 95,077 residents.
How common is Ferrier?
Ferrier ranks #9,823 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.05 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 3,144 people with the surname Ferrier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,605), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.05 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 Ferrier.
Has Ferrier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ferrier went from 3,654 recorded bearers to 3,144. That is a decrease of 510 (-14.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,959 to #9,823.
What does the Census say about the background of Ferrier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferrier, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Ferrier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.8% (2,572 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ferrier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.8%), Black (8.0%), Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Ferrier (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 Ferrier mean?
An occupational surname referring to a craftsman who shoes horses. 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 Ferrier (1.05 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 last name Ferrier?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Ferrier, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.