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

Ferreira, 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 Ferreira surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ferreira in America

Ferreira is the 30889th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ferreira surname appeared 753 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 Ferreira.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ferreira 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 Ferreira

The surname Ferriera is of Portuguese origin, deriving from the word "ferreiro" which means "blacksmith" or "ironworker" in Portuguese. It is believed to have originated in the 14th or 15th century when surnames became more commonly used in Portugal.

The name likely originated in the northern regions of Portugal, where ironworking and blacksmithing were important trades. It may have been adopted by those who worked as blacksmiths or in related professions, or by families who lived near a blacksmith's workshop or forge.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ferriera can be found in the "Livro Velho de Linhagens" (Old Book of Lineages), a 14th-century Portuguese manuscript that documents noble families and their coats of arms. The name is also found in various legal documents and records from the 15th and 16th centuries in Portugal.

One notable bearer of the surname was João Ferriera, a Portuguese explorer and navigator who was part of the expedition led by Vasco da Gama that reached India in 1498. João Ferriera was born around 1470 and is credited with being one of the first Europeans to set foot in India.

Another individual with the surname Ferriera was António Ferriera, a 17th-century Portuguese historian and writer. He was born in 1628 and is best known for his work "Nova História da Militar Ordem de Malta" (New History of the Military Order of Malta), published in 1659.

In the 18th century, José Ferriera Borges was a prominent Portuguese politician and lawyer. He was born in 1786 and played a significant role in the liberal revolution of 1820, which led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy in Portugal.

One of the most famous bearers of the surname Ferriera was Joaquim Ferriera, a 19th-century Portuguese author and journalist. He was born in 1838 and is known for his satirical works, including "O Código Penal Eternal" (The Eternal Penal Code), which criticized the social and political conditions of his time.

The surname Ferriera can also be found in other Portuguese-speaking regions, such as Brazil, where it was likely brought by Portuguese settlers and immigrants. It is a testament to the historical importance of blacksmithing and metalworking in Portugal and the diaspora of Portuguese people throughout the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ferreira

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

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

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

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