2000
#14,951
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,814
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.67
Rare Last name
Ferrero
An Italian occupational surname referring to an ironworker or blacksmith.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,998 Americans carry the last name Ferrero. That puts it at #16,072 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.58 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 171,549 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ferrero 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
2.0K
1 in 171,549
Census rank
#16,072
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,742 bearers of the surname Ferrero in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.58 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16072nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferrero, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (19.2%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ferrero
The surname Ferrero originated in Italy, derived from the Italian word "ferrero," meaning "blacksmith" or "ironworker." This occupational surname dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was given to those who worked with iron, a highly prized and respected profession at the time.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Ferrero can be traced back to the 13th century in the regions of Piedmont and Liguria, located in northwestern Italy. These areas were known for their thriving metalworking industries, which likely contributed to the widespread adoption of the surname among local families.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Ferrero surname was Giovanni Ferrero, a skilled blacksmith who lived in the town of Asti, Piedmont, in the late 13th century. His work was highly regarded, and he was commissioned to craft intricate ironwork for local churches and noble residences.
In the 14th century, the surname Ferrero appeared in various medieval records, such as tax rolls and property deeds, throughout the regions of Piedmont and Liguria. It was also found in the famous Florentine Codices, which documented the city's prominent families and their coats of arms.
During the Renaissance, the Ferrero family gained prominence in the city of Genoa, where they were known for their expertise in metalworking and their involvement in the local guild system. One notable figure was Antonio Ferrero, a master blacksmith born in 1492, who crafted ornamental ironwork for the city's grand palaces and churches.
In the 17th century, the Ferrero surname spread beyond Italy, with members of the family emigrating to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One such individual was Juan Ferrero, a Spanish explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the New World in 1493.
Another prominent figure was Giambattista Ferrero, an Italian philosopher and theologian born in 1601. He authored several influential works on moral philosophy and was a respected figure in the intellectual circles of his time.
Throughout the centuries, the Ferrero surname has been carried by numerous individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, including the arts, sciences, and business. One of the most well-known bearers of the name is the Ferrero family, founders of the famous Italian confectionery company that bears their name, which was established in the late 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ferrero
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferrero, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (19.2%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Ferrero 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 Ferrero surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.3% · 1,347
- Hispanic or Latino19.2% · 334
- Two or more races2.2% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 7
- Black or African American0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ferrero
Ferrero 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
#14,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,013
+199 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 196 places
2020
#16,072
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,742
-271 bearers (-13.5%)
Per 100,000 0.58
Rank movement Down 1,317 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,951 | 1,814 | 0.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,755 | 2,013 | 0.68 | +199 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 196 places |
| 2020 | #16,072 | 1,742 | 0.58 | -271 bearers (-13.5%) | Down 1,317 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 Ferrero 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 | #14,755 | #16,072 | -8.9% |
| Count | 2,013 | 1,742 | -13.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.58 | -14.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ferrero bearers went from 2,013 to 1,742 (-13.5% change). The surname moved down 1,317 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,755 to #16,072.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ferrero
FAQ
Ferrero surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ferrero?
Name Census estimates that about 1,998 living Americans carry the surname Ferrero. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 171,549 residents.
How common is Ferrero?
Ferrero ranks #16,072 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.58 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,742 people with the surname Ferrero. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,998), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.58 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.58 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ferrero.
Has Ferrero become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ferrero went from 2,013 recorded bearers to 1,742. That is a decrease of 271 (-13.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,755 to #16,072.
What does the Census say about the background of Ferrero?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ferrero, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (19.2%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Ferrero in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.3% (1,347 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ferrero appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.3%), Hispanic (19.2%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Ferrero (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 Ferrero mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to an ironworker or blacksmith. 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 Ferrero (0.58 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 have the last name Ferrero?
Want to know how many people have the last name Ferrero? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.