2000
#599
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 51,095
First available Census row
Per 100,000 18.94
Uncommon Last name
Farrell
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Fearghail," meaning "descendant of Fearghail" (brave or courageous).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 57,856 Americans carry the last name Farrell. That puts it at #658 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 16.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 5,924 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Farrell 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 Farrell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
58K
1 in 5,924
Census rank
#658
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
16.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
50K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 50,453 bearers of the surname Farrell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 16.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 658th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Farrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Farrell
The surname Farrell is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Fearghail" or "Fear Ghal", which means "man of valor" or "man of the bright foreigner". It is an ancient name that can be traced back to the early medieval period in Ireland.
The name Farrell is believed to have its roots in County Longford, where it was prominent among the O'Farrell clan, a sept of the Ui Briuin dynasty. The O'Farrells were lords of Annaly, a territory that encompassed parts of modern-day Counties Longford, Westmeath, and Cavan.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Farrell can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention several members of the O'Farrell clan, including Conchobhar O'Farrell, who was slain in a battle in 1187.
In the 14th century, the Farrells were among the prominent Irish families who resisted the Norman invasion and fought to maintain their independence. During this period, the name appears in various records and documents, sometimes with alternative spellings such as O'Ferrall, Ferrell, or Farrell.
Notable historical figures with the surname Farrell include:
1. Ferghal O'Farrell (c. 1265 - c. 1330), an Irish nobleman and lord of Annaly.
2. Sir Thomas Farrell (c. 1560 - 1620), an English soldier and colonist who played a role in the Plantation of Ulster.
3. Nicholas Farrell (1647 - 1718), an Irish Catholic priest and writer who published works on theology and philosophy.
4. Edmond Farrell (1763 - 1835), an Irish-born American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
5. John Theophilus Farrell (1804 - 1892), an Irish-born Anglican clergyman and author who served as Bishop of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.
The surname Farrell has a long and storied history, with roots deeply embedded in the rich cultural tapestry of Ireland. It has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including noblemen, soldiers, clergy, and writers, leaving an indelible mark on the annals of history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Farrell
Among Census respondents with the surname Farrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Farrell 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 Farrell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.3% · 44,044
- Black or African American4.5% · 2,250
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 1,935
- Two or more races3.1% · 1,584
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 442
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 198
Timeline
Historical Census data for Farrell
Farrell 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
#652
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 52,321
+1,226 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 17.74
Rank movement Down 53 places
2020
#658
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 50,453
-1,868 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 16.88
Rank movement Down 6 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #599 | 51,095 | 18.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #652 | 52,321 | 17.74 | +1,226 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 53 places |
| 2020 | #658 | 50,453 | 16.88 | -1,868 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 6 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 Farrell 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 | #652 | #658 | -0.9% |
| Count | 52,321 | 50,453 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 17.74 | 16.88 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Farrell bearers went from 52,321 to 50,453 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 6 positions in the national ranking, going from #652 to #658.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Farrell
FAQ
Farrell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Farrell?
Name Census estimates that about 57,856 living Americans carry the surname Farrell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 5,924 residents.
How common is Farrell?
Farrell ranks #658 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 16.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 17 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 50,453 people with the surname Farrell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (57,856), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 16.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 16.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 17 of them to have the surname Farrell.
Has Farrell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Farrell went from 52,321 recorded bearers to 50,453. That is a decrease of 1,868 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #652 to #658.
What does the Census say about the background of Farrell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Farrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Farrell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (44,044 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Farrell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.3%), Black (4.5%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Farrell (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 Farrell mean?
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Fearghail," meaning "descendant of Fearghail" (brave or courageous). 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 Farrell (16.88 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 Americans have the surname Farrell?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.