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

Ferro, 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 Ferro surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ferro in America

Ferro is the 4843rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ferro surname appeared 7,273 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Ferro.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ferro 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 Ferro

The surname Ferro is of Italian origin, derived from the Latin word "ferrum," meaning "iron." It likely emerged during the medieval period in the regions of northern Italy, particularly in areas known for ironworking or metalsmithing.

The earliest known record of the Ferro surname appears in the 13th century, when a family bearing this name was mentioned in various documents from the city of Genoa. The name may have originated as a descriptive surname for an individual involved in the iron trade or as a metalworker.

In the 14th century, the Ferro family became prominent in the Republic of Venice, with several members holding influential positions within the city-state's government and mercantile circles. Notably, Niccolò Ferro (1470-1537) was a renowned mathematician credited with discovering a method for solving cubic equations, now known as the "Ferro-Tartaglia method."

During the Renaissance period, the Ferro surname was also associated with notable artists and intellectuals. Andrea Ferro (1515-1594), a sculptor and architect from Genoa, was renowned for his work on several churches and palaces in the city.

As the surname spread throughout Italy, it adopted various regional spellings, such as Ferri, Ferretti, and Ferraro. In the 16th century, a branch of the Ferro family settled in the Kingdom of Naples, where they established themselves as landowners and nobles. Giambattista Ferro (1584-1669), a jurist and diplomat from this lineage, served as the ambassador of Naples to the Holy See.

In the 18th century, the Ferro family gained prominence in the field of medicine. Vincenzo Ferro (1723-1795), a physician from Naples, made significant contributions to the study of obstetrics and gynecology, publishing several influential works on the subject.

Throughout history, the Ferro surname has been carried by various notable individuals, including the Spanish painter Rafael Ferro (1830-1900), the Italian economist and politician Sergio Ferro (1920-1998), and the Argentine writer Roberto Ferro (1935-2019).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ferro

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

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

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

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