Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1918

Ferdinand

Meaning journey Gender Boy Rank 2025 #4,294 Trend ↑ Rising 42%

From Spanish Ferdinando, from Proto-Germanic *fardiz (“journey”) + *nanþaz (“daring”) (from the root of *ninþaną (“to be daring”)).

Rank 2025
#4,294
among boys · ↓380 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
24
named Ferdinand · -14% vs 2024
How common
1 in 71,170
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1918
259 babies
All-time total
8,909
#1,293 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Ferdinand popularity over time

8,909 babies have been named Ferdinand since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.190.380.560.7518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1884Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s 383 38 – #229
1890s 354 35 -8% #262
1900s 330 33 -7% #338
1910s 1,734 173 +425% #320
1920s 1,774 177 +2% #409
1930s 998 100 -44% #495
1940s 603 60 -40% #765
1950s 632 63 +5% #843
1960s 523 52 -17% #956
1970s 444 44 -15% #986
1980s 335 34 -25% #1,399
1990s 235 24 -30% #2,102
2000s 195 20 -17% #3,757
2010s 229 23 +17% #3,249
2020s (to 2025) 140 23 +2% #3,798

Where Ferdinand is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 25 0.01 outside top 500
2027 26 0.02 outside top 500
2028 27 0.02 outside top 500
2029 28 0.02 outside top 500
2030 29 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Ferdinand

Ferdinand is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,294 in 2025 with 24 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 8,909 American babies have been named Ferdinand. Its peak came in 1918, when 259 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1910s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Ferdinand stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Ferdinand?

The median living Ferdinand is about 54 years old; half are between 33 and 70. An estimated 2,900 people named Ferdinand are alive in the United States today.

median 54 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Ferdinand year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 24 #4,294
2024 28 #3,914
2023 29 #3,824
2022 29 #3,798
2021 16 #5,620
2020 14 #6,070
2019 20 #4,849
2018 25 #4,130
2017 17 #5,356
2016 35 #3,249
2015 20 #4,770
2014 24 #4,171
2013 24 #4,097
2012 21 #4,588
2011 20 #4,714
2010 23 #4,277
2009 20 #4,809
2008 25 #4,065
2007 24 #4,161
2006 21 #4,404
2005 16 #5,105
2004 16 #5,085
2003 20 #4,163
2002 15 #4,985
2001 22 #3,757
2000 16 #4,649
1995 22 #3,130
1990 35 #2,102
1985 35 #1,742
1980 35 #1,666
1975 43 #1,327
1970 56 #1,096
1965 54 #1,007
1960 63 #956
1955 71 #881
1950 53 #951
1945 55 #846
1940 61 #795
1935 101 #577
1930 145 #495
1925 159 #481
1920 185 #446
1915 245 #336
1910 48 #371
1905 31 #374
1900 41 #340
1895 38 #290
1890 33 #299
1885 36 #278
1880 32 #294

Famous people named Ferdinand

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Ferdinand Magellan Ferdinand Magellan Portuguese explorer (1480–1521) Medieval
  2. 2 Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Marcos President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986 1917–1989 · Contemporary
  3. 3 Ferdinand I of Austria Ferdinand I of Austria Emperor of Austria from 1835 to 1848 1793–1875 · 18th century
  4. 4 Ferdinand II of Aragon Ferdinand II of Aragon King of Aragon from 1479 to 1516 1452–1516 · Medieval
  5. 5 Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor Holy Roman Emperor from 1556 to 1564 1503–1564 · 16th century
  6. 6 Ferdinand Porsche Ferdinand Porsche Austrian-born German automotive engineer, inventor (1875–1951) 19th century
  7. 7 Ferdinand Foch Ferdinand Foch French general and military theorist (1851–1929) 19th century
  8. 8 Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor Holy Roman Emperor from 1619 to 1637 1578–1637 · 16th century
  9. 9 Ferdinand I of Bulgaria Ferdinand I of Bulgaria Prince/Tsar of Bulgaria from 1887 to 1918 1861–1948 · 19th century
  10. 10 Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor Holy Roman Emperor from 1637 to 1657 1608–1657 · 17th century
  11. 11 Ferdinand I of Romania Ferdinand I of Romania King of Romania from 1914 to 1927 1865–1927 · 19th century
  12. 12 Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies King of Naples and Sicily (r. 1759–1799; 1799–1806; 1815–1825) 1751–1825 · 18th century
  13. 13 Ferdinand Schörner Ferdinand Schörner German field marshal (1892–1973) 19th century
  14. 14 Ferdinand de Saussure Ferdinand de Saussure Swiss linguist and philosopher (1857–1913) 19th century
  15. 15 Ferdinand III of Castile Ferdinand III of Castile King of Castile (1217–1252) and León (1230–1252) 1199–1252 · Medieval
  16. 16 Ferdinand VII of Spain Ferdinand VII of Spain King of Spain (1808, 1813–1833) 1784–1833 · 18th century
  17. 17 Ferdinand Lassalle Ferdinand Lassalle German jurist and socialist (1825–1864) 19th century
  18. 18 Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy French army officer (1847–1923) 19th century
  19. 19 Ferdinand de Lesseps Ferdinand de Lesseps French diplomat (1805–1894) 19th century
  20. 20 Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies King of the Two Sicilies from 1830 to 1859 1810–1859 · 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Ferdinand, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Ferdinand?

The median living Ferdinand is about 54 years old. Half of all living Ferdinands are between 33 and 70 years old.

How many people named Ferdinand are alive today?

An estimated 2,900 people named Ferdinand are alive in the United States, based on 8,909 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Ferdinand mean?

From Spanish Ferdinando, from Proto-Germanic *fardiz (“journey”) + *nanþaz (“daring”) (from the root of *ninþaną (“to be daring”)).

How popular is the name Ferdinand in 2025?

Ferdinand ranked #4,294 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 24 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Ferdinand?

8,909 babies have been named Ferdinand in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Ferdinand most popular?

Ferdinand peaked in 1918, when 259 newborns received the name.

Is Ferdinand a boy or girl name?

Ferdinand is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Ferdinand rising or falling?

Ferdinand is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Ferdinand become more popular?

Ferdinand is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 29 boys named Ferdinand in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Ferdinand?

Well-known people named Ferdinand include Ferdinand Magellan (explorer), Ferdinand Marcos (politician), Ferdinand I of Austria (politician).

Names like Ferdinand

Names that sound and feel close to Ferdinand: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Ferdinand with similar names → More names starting with F →