2000
#987
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 32,174
First available Census row
Per 100,000 11.93
Uncommon Last name
Ferrell
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Fearghail," meaning "descendant of Fearghal" (a personal name meaning "brave valour").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 36,878 Americans carry the last name Ferrell. That puts it at #1,071 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,294 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ferrell 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 Ferrell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
37K
1 in 9,294
Census rank
#1,071
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
32K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 32,159 bearers of the surname Ferrell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1071st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (19.5%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ferrell
The surname Ferrell has its origins in England, with records indicating its presence as early as the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "ferreor," which means "ironworker" or "blacksmith." This occupational surname likely originated from a person whose profession involved working with iron or metalsmithing.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Ferrell can be traced back to the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk, dated 1198, where it appeared as "Farellus." This medieval document recorded the names of individuals who paid taxes to the English Crown. The spelling variations during this period included Farrell, Ferrill, Ferryll, and Ferrell.
In the 13th century, the name Ferrell appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, a collection of records from the Hundred Courts. This document listed individuals named Ferrellus and Ferellus de Tylney, indicating that some Ferrells were associated with the village of Tilney in Norfolk.
During the 14th century, the surname Ferrell was found in various historical records, such as the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where it was recorded as "Ferylle." This document recorded the names of individuals who paid a tax to the English Crown.
One notable figure bearing the surname Ferrell was John Ferrell, a merchant from Bristol, England, who lived in the late 16th century. He was a prominent member of the Society of Merchant Venturers, a influential trading organization in Bristol.
Another notable individual was William Ferrell, born in 1579 in Lincolnshire, England. He served as a Member of Parliament for Grantham in 1628 and played a role in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause.
In the 17th century, the name Ferrell was also found in the records of the Virginia Company, which oversaw the establishment of the Virginia Colony in North America. One such record from 1623 mentioned a Thomas Ferrell who was among the early settlers in the colony.
Another notable figure was John Ferrell, born in 1692 in County Down, Ireland. He was a prominent Presbyterian minister who emigrated to America in the early 18th century and played a significant role in the establishment of the Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania.
In the 19th century, Joseph Ferrell, born in 1815 in Ohio, United States, was a prominent abolitionist and activist who fought against slavery. He was actively involved in the Underground Railroad, helping enslaved individuals escape to freedom.
These are just a few examples of individuals who bore the surname Ferrell throughout history, illustrating the name's English origins and its presence in various historical records and contexts over several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ferrell
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (19.5%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Ferrell 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 Ferrell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.8% · 23,082
- Black or African American19.5% · 6,262
- Two or more races4.1% · 1,331
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 1,191
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 167
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 126
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ferrell
Ferrell 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
#1,043
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,418
+1,244 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 11.33
Rank movement Down 56 places
2020
#1,071
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 32,159
-1,259 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 10.76
Rank movement Down 28 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #987 | 32,174 | 11.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,043 | 33,418 | 11.33 | +1,244 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 56 places |
| 2020 | #1,071 | 32,159 | 10.76 | -1,259 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 28 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 Ferrell 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 | #1,043 | #1,071 | -2.7% |
| Count | 33,418 | 32,159 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 11.33 | 10.76 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ferrell bearers went from 33,418 to 32,159 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 28 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,043 to #1,071.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ferrell
FAQ
Ferrell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ferrell?
Name Census estimates that about 36,878 living Americans carry the surname Ferrell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,294 residents.
How common is Ferrell?
Ferrell ranks #1,071 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 10.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 11 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 32,159 people with the surname Ferrell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (36,878), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 10.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 10.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 11 of them to have the surname Ferrell.
Has Ferrell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ferrell went from 33,418 recorded bearers to 32,159. That is a decrease of 1,259 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,043 to #1,071.
What does the Census say about the background of Ferrell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (19.5%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Ferrell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.8% (23,082 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ferrell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.8%), Black (19.5%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Ferrell (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 Ferrell mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Fearghail," meaning "descendant of Fearghal" (a personal name meaning "brave valour"). 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 Ferrell (10.76 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 Ferrell?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.