2000
#4,719
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,872
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.55
Rare Last name
Ferro
An Italian occupational surname referring to an iron worker or smith.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,666 Americans carry the last name Ferro. That puts it at #5,082 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 44,711 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ferro 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 Ferro with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.7K
1 in 44,711
Census rank
#5,082
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,685 bearers of the surname Ferro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5082nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferro, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (23.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ferro
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferro, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (23.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Ferro 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 Ferro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.4% · 4,842
- Hispanic or Latino23.4% · 1,562
- Two or more races1.8% · 122
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 88
- Black or African American0.9% · 61
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ferro
Ferro 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
#4,843
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,273
+401 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 2.47
Rank movement Down 124 places
2020
#5,082
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,685
-588 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 2.24
Rank movement Down 239 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,719 | 6,872 | 2.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,843 | 7,273 | 2.47 | +401 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 124 places |
| 2020 | #5,082 | 6,685 | 2.24 | -588 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 239 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 Ferro 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 | #4,843 | #5,082 | -4.9% |
| Count | 7,273 | 6,685 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.47 | 2.24 | -9.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ferro bearers went from 7,273 to 6,685 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 239 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,843 to #5,082.
FAQ
Ferro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ferro?
Name Census estimates that about 7,666 living Americans carry the surname Ferro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 44,711 residents.
How common is Ferro?
Ferro ranks #5,082 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.24 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,685 people with the surname Ferro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,666), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.24 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Ferro.
Has Ferro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ferro went from 7,273 recorded bearers to 6,685. That is a decrease of 588 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,843 to #5,082.
What does the Census say about the background of Ferro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferro, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (23.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Ferro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.4% (4,842 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ferro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.4%), Hispanic (23.4%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Ferro (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 Ferro mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to an iron worker or smith. 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 Ferro (2.24 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 share the surname Ferro?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.