Boy · #3,434 in 2026

Ferdinand

Name: Popularity of the name Ferdinand in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Ferdinand, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements farð 'journey, travel', Proto-Germanic *farthi, abstract noun from root *far- 'to fare, travel', and nanth 'courage' or nand 'ready, prepared' related to Old High German nendan 'to risk, venture'.

German
French
Dutch
English

Current Rank

#3,434

Peak Rank

#227 (1918)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

+65%

1880

First Year

2026

Last Year

1918

Peak Year

#227

Peak Rank

Total Count

147

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Ferdinand

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

German
French
Dutch
English
Slovak
Czech
Slovene
Croatian
Hungarian

The Story of Ferdinand

American parents first put Ferdinand on the record books as a baby boy name in 1880, with 32 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 259 Ferdinands were born — ranking #363 that year. About 20% of every Ferdinand on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Ferdinand ranks #3,434 for baby boys with 34 births, rising sharply (+65% over the past five years). All told, over 9K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Variants & Related Forms of Ferdinand

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Ferdinand. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Ferdi
Ferdie
Ferdo
Ferdy
Ferre

Names that sound like Ferdinand

Phonetically similar names — useful when Ferdinand is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Ferdinando
Fernand
Ordinand
Freehand
Ordinant
Forenoon
Foreknown
Fernando
Finland
Firsthand
Fremont
Fernanda

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ferdinand

What does the name Ferdinand mean?

What is the origin of the name Ferdinand?

Ferdinand has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: German, French, Dutch, English, Slovak, Czech, Slovene, Croatian, Hungarian.

How popular is Ferdinand in 2026?

In 2026, Ferdinand ranks #3,434 among boys' names in the U.S., with 34 babies given the name that year.

When was Ferdinand most popular?

Ferdinand reached its peak popularity in 1918, ranking #227 that year with 259 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Ferdinand most popular?

Ferdinand has historically been most popular in Maryland, Rhode Island, North Dakota. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Ferdinand.

Is Ferdinand a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Ferdinand is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Ferdinand?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Ferdinand include Matt, Boyd, Remington. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Ferdinand?

Common variants and related forms of Ferdinand include Ferdi, Ferdie, Ferdo, Ferdy, Ferre. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Ferdinand

Ferdinand is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 9K births in the dataset. Ferdinand's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #227. Use the chart and map above to compare Ferdinand's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.