Ferris
Feminine · “man of vigor”
Ferris is given to both — 312 girls and 2,837 boys since 1880. See Ferris as a boy nameSee other names given to both
Ferris entered the US charts in 1913, peaked at #2688 in 1915, ranks #14942 in 2025 — given to only a few children a year.
How old is the name Ferris?
Ferris first appears in US birth records in 1913 — 112 years ago. The typical Ferris alive today was born around 1981, making them about 44 years old. About 200 people named Ferris are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Ferris most popular?
Ferris peaked in 1915, reaching #2688 nationally. Today it ranks #14942, 12,254 places below that high. See the whole 1915 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From Fearghus to Ferris
The story of Ferris
Both roads reached England early. Norman barons named for Ferrières held land in the Midlands after the Conquest, and their name softened into Ferrers and Ferris. Independently, Irish families anglicized Ó Fearghusa as Ferris when their names were written down in English. The two arrived in America separately and are now indistinguishable on paper. The fairground wheel that took its builder's surname in the 1890s put the word into everyday English, where it has stayed.
Meaningscholars disagree
man of vigor, or of the ironworks
One line runs from the Irish family name built on Fearghus, from elements meaning man and vigor. The other runs from the Norman de Ferrers, a family named for Ferrières in France, a place of iron workings, from the Latin word for iron.
How the name formed
- Fearghus
- Ó Fearghusa
- Ferris
Related forms: Fearghus · Ferrers · Fergus
Pronouncing Ferris
FEH-riss
Two syllables, first stressed, exactly as the wheel is said.
Nicknames for Ferris
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
- 1913
- Most girls named
- 198116 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #2688reached in 1915
- Change vs 2024
- −50.0%5 in 2025, from 10
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.
Ferris in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Fearghus in Irish — related form
- Ferrers in English — related form
- Fergus in Scottish Gaelic — related form
Ferriss among us
people named Ferris are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 321,453 born in 2025 was named Ferris
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
Ferris 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
Ferris beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Ferris in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
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Ferris
Feminine · #14942 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Ferriss are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 200 people named Ferris are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Ferris in 2025?
- Ferris ranks #14942 among US girl names in 2025, with 5 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Ferris?
- About 1 in every 321,453 US girls born in 2025 was named Ferris — 5 in all.
- Will my child share the name Ferris with classmates?
- Ferris will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Ferris
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Hester#14942 · Lyda#14942 · Zula#14942 · Zona#14942 · Ula#14942 · Belva#14942 · Lucetta#14942 · Leala#14942
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Ferris? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Ferris and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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