Fergus
Masculine · “man of vigor”
Fergus is a man of force, in the plainest possible Gaelic: fear is a man and gus is vigor or strength. It belonged to a legendary king of Ulster in the Irish sagas and to the Dal Riata dynasty that carried Gaelic from Ireland into Scotland, so it sits at the beginning of two national stories.
How old is the name Fergus?
Fergus first appears in US birth records in 1916 — 109 years ago. The typical Fergus alive today was born around 2006, making them about 19 years old. About 500 people named Fergus are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Fergus most popular?
Fergus peaked in 1918, reaching #2699 nationally. Today it ranks #5045, 2,346 places below that high. See the whole 1918 chart.
Fergus appears on this list:
Where it comes from
From Fergus to Fergus
The story of Fergus
Fergus mac Roich is one of the great figures of the Ulster cycle, a king who gives up his throne and ends on the wrong side of a war; Fergus Mor is the semi-historical figure Scottish tradition credits with bringing the Gaels from Ireland to Argyll. The name was used steadily in Ireland and Scotland through the Middle Ages and stayed in Scottish use afterward. It came to American records with Scottish and Irish families and has always been uncommon here.
Meaning
man of vigor; strong man
Old Irish fer, a man, joined to gus, vigor, force or strength. Both elements are transparent and the compound has never been disputed.
How the name formed
- Fergus
- Fearghas
Related forms: Fearghas · Fearghas · Ferish
Pronouncing Fergus
FUR-gus
Two syllables, stress in front. The Gaelic Fearghas is said much the same way.
Nicknames for Fergus
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1916
- Most boys named
- 202424 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #2699reached in 1918
- Change vs 2024
- −20.8%19 in 2025, from 24
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Fergus in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Fearghas in Irish — same name
- Fearghas in Scottish Gaelic — same name
- Ferish in Manx — related form
International figures from National Records of Scotland. Sources
Ferguss among us
people named Fergus are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 89,899 born in 2025 was named Fergus
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Fergus sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Fergus beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Fergus in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- The meaning is direct and can be stated in three words.
- Gus is a ready short form and is currently very well liked on its own.
- It carries documented figures at the start of both Irish and Scottish tradition.
- It is uncommon in the United States and will be spelled out often.
- Fergie is a strong association for some adults, and it reaches the full name.
- It reads as distinctly Scottish, which is the point for some families and a weight for others.
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What they receive
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Fergus
Masculine · #5045 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Ferguss are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 500 people named Fergus are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Fergus in 2025?
- Fergus ranks #5045 among US boy names in 2025, with 19 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Fergus?
- About 1 in every 89,899 US boys born in 2025 was named Fergus — 19 in all.
- Will my child share the name Fergus with classmates?
- Fergus will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Fergus
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Silver#5045 · Daymon#5045 · Thierry#5045 · Mehmet#5045 · Tyrel#5045 · Teague#5045 · Zeyad#5045 · Gardner#5045
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Fergus? See the current top 100.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration; international figures from national statistics agencies. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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