2000
#34,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 629
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Very Rare Last name
Fero
A surname originating from Italian meaning "wild" or "ferocious".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 786 Americans carry the last name Fero. That puts it at #35,388 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 436,074 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fero 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
786
1 in 436,074
Census rank
#35,388
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
685
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 685 bearers of the surname Fero in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 35388th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fero, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fero
The surname Fero is of Italian origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "ferrum," meaning iron, suggesting a possible occupation or trade association with ironworking or blacksmithing for the original bearers of this name.
The earliest recorded instances of the Fero surname can be traced back to the 13th century in regions such as Tuscany and Umbria, where it was commonly found in ancient records and documents. Some variations in spelling existed, including Ferro, Ferri, and Ferrero, reflecting regional dialects and scribal differences.
One notable historical reference to the Fero name is found in the "Libro di Montaperti," a 13th-century manuscript detailing the Battle of Montaperti, which mentions a certain "Guido Fero" as a participant in the conflict. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname were present and involved in significant events of the time.
In the 14th century, the name Fero appeared in the "Codice Diplomatico Dantesco," a collection of documents related to the life of the renowned Italian poet Dante Alighieri. This association, though indirect, highlights the presence and prominence of the Fero surname during the Renaissance era in Italy.
Among notable individuals with the Fero surname throughout history, one can mention:
1. Giovanni Fero (c. 1450-1525), an Italian architect and sculptor active in the early 16th century, known for his work on the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence.
2. Vincenzo Fero (1590-1660), an Italian painter and engraver from the Baroque period, renowned for his religious and mythological works.
3. Girolamo Fero (1610-1678), an Italian jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Republic of Venice and authored several influential treatises on law.
4. Elisabetta Fero (1715-1792), an Italian poet and playwright who gained recognition for her contributions to the literary salons of Venice during the Enlightenment period.
5. Pietro Fero (1820-1892), an Italian explorer and naturalist who conducted extensive research and expeditions in the Amazon rainforest, contributing valuable knowledge to the field of biology and ethnography.
While the Fero surname may have originated from an occupational association, its prevalence throughout Italian history and its presence in various historical records and figures highlight its enduring legacy and significance within Italian culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fero
Among Census respondents with the surname Fero, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Fero 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 Fero surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 603
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 37
- Two or more races3.8% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 12
- Black or African American1.0% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fero
Fero 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
#34,758
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 650
+21 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 644 places
2020
#35,388
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 685
+35 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Down 630 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #34,114 | 629 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #34,758 | 650 | 0.22 | +21 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 644 places |
| 2020 | #35,388 | 685 | 0.23 | +35 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 630 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 Fero 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 | #34,758 | #35,388 | -1.8% |
| Count | 650 | 685 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.23 | 4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fero bearers went from 650 to 685 (+5.4% change). The surname moved down 630 positions in the national ranking, going from #34,758 to #35,388.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Fero
FAQ
Fero surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fero?
Name Census estimates that about 786 living Americans carry the surname Fero. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 436,074 residents.
How common is Fero?
Fero ranks #35,388 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 685 people with the surname Fero. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (786), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.23 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Fero.
Has Fero become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fero went from 650 recorded bearers to 685. That is an increase of 35 (+5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #34,758 to #35,388.
What does the Census say about the background of Fero?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fero, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (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 Fero in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (603 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fero appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Hispanic (5.4%), Two or More Races (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 Fero (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 Fero mean?
A surname originating from Italian meaning "wild" or "ferocious". 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 Fero (0.23 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 Fero?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.