Ferris
Masculine · “man of vigor”
Ferris is given to both — 2,837 boys and 312 girls since 1880. See other names given to both
Ferris is a surname with two roads behind it, one Irish and one Norman, and English kept both without deciding. It was in American use as a first name in the nineteenth century, went quiet, and has begun turning up again.
How old is the name Ferris?
Ferris first appears in US birth records in 1893 — 132 years ago. The typical Ferris alive today was born around 1956, making them about 69 years old. About 1,600 people named Ferris are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Ferris most popular?
Ferris peaked in 1902, reaching #744 nationally. Today it ranks #3128, 2,384 places below that high. See the whole 1902 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
- 1893
- Most boys named
- 202250 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #744reached in 1902
- Change vs 2022
- −24.0%38 in 2025, from 50
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
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Illinois, Michigan.
Ferriss among us
people named Ferris are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 44,949 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
Where Ferris is headed
Ferris looks set to keep climbing gently, with roughly 21% more babies a year by 2030 if the current curve holds.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Ferris beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Ferris in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- Everyone can already say it, because the fairground wheel taught them.
- It has real documented history on two separate lines, Irish and Norman.
- A surname that has been used in front for well over a century, so it is not a new experiment.
- The 1986 film about a high-school truant is the first association for most Americans over thirty, and it is a friendly one but it is loud.
- Ferris, Farris and Feriss all exist, so the spelling gets asked for.
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What they receive
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Ferris
Masculine · #3128 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 1,600 people named Ferris are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Ferris in 2025?
- Ferris ranks #3128 among US boy names in 2025, with 38 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Ferris?
- About 1 in every 44,949 US boys born in 2025 was named Ferris — 38 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.
Hamilton#3128 · Juanpablo#3128 · Courtney#3128 · Baxter#3128 · Javen#3128 · Hal#3128 · Dawud#3128 · Tavion#3128
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Ferris? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Ferris and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
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Which one would you pick?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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