2000
#9,036
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,326
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.23
Rare Last name
Fermin
A French surname derived from the Latin name Firminus, meaning "steadfast" or "firm."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,157 Americans carry the last name Fermin. That puts it at #6,118 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 55,669 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fermin 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.
Bearers in the US
6.2K
1 in 55,669
Census rank
#6,118
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,369 bearers of the surname Fermin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6118th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fermin, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.0%) and White (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fermin
The surname FERMIN is believed to have originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin name "Firminus," which means "firm" or "steadfast." The name likely evolved from the Roman "Firminus," which was a common personal name in ancient Rome.
The earliest known records of the FERMIN surname can be traced back to the 11th century in the region of Castile, Spain. The name was particularly prevalent in the areas around the city of Burgos, where it was often associated with noble families and landowners.
In the 13th century, the FERMIN surname appeared in several historical documents, including the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript that recorded the lives of pilgrims traveling to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. This suggests that individuals bearing the name may have been involved in the pilgrimage routes or related activities during that time.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the FERMIN surname was Juan Fermin, a Spanish nobleman who lived in the city of Seville in the late 14th century. He was a prominent figure in the city's government and was known for his involvement in local politics and trade.
In the 16th century, the FERMIN surname gained further recognition with the birth of Juan Fermin Ayala (1493-1569), a Spanish explorer and navigator who participated in several expeditions to the Americas. He was part of the crew that accompanied Juan Ponce de León on his voyage to Florida in 1513.
Another notable individual with the FERMIN surname was Pedro Fermin de Vargas (1619-1698), a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of New Mexico from 1688 to 1691. He played a significant role in the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 and the subsequent reconquest of New Mexico.
In the 18th century, José Fermin de Soto (1720-1790) was a Spanish philosopher and educator who made significant contributions to the field of education in Spain. He was a strong advocate for educational reforms and wrote several influential works on the subject.
During the 19th century, the FERMIN surname was also found in other parts of Europe, particularly in France and Italy, where it was likely introduced through migration and trade. One notable individual from this period was Fermin Caballero (1800-1876), a Spanish writer, politician, and historian who served as a member of the Royal Spanish Academy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fermin
Among Census respondents with the surname Fermin, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.0%) and White (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Fermin 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 Fermin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino82.5% · 4,431
- Asian and Pacific Islander10.0% · 539
- White3.9% · 207
- Black or African American2.3% · 122
- Two or more races1.3% · 69
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fermin
Fermin 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
#6,678
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,057
+1,731 bearers (+52.0%)
Per 100,000 1.71
Rank movement Up 2,358 places
2020
#6,118
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,369
+312 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 1.80
Rank movement Up 560 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,036 | 3,326 | 1.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,678 | 5,057 | 1.71 | +1,731 bearers (+52.0%) | Up 2,358 places |
| 2020 | #6,118 | 5,369 | 1.80 | +312 bearers (+6.2%) | Up 560 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 Fermin 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 | #6,678 | #6,118 | 8.4% |
| Count | 5,057 | 5,369 | 6.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.71 | 1.80 | 5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fermin bearers went from 5,057 to 5,369 (+6.2% change). The surname moved up 560 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,678 to #6,118.
FAQ
Fermin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fermin?
Name Census estimates that about 6,157 living Americans carry the surname Fermin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 55,669 residents.
How common is Fermin?
Fermin ranks #6,118 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.80 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 5,369 people with the surname Fermin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,157), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.80 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 Fermin.
Has Fermin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fermin went from 5,057 recorded bearers to 5,369. That is an increase of 312 (+6.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,678 to #6,118.
What does the Census say about the background of Fermin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fermin, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.0%) and White (3.9%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Fermin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.5% (4,431 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fermin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (82.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (10.0%), White (3.9%). 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 Fermin (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 Fermin mean?
A French surname derived from the Latin name Firminus, meaning "steadfast" or "firm." 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 Fermin (1.80 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 are called Fermin?
You can see how common the surname Fermin is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.