Ferguson
Ferguson is an Anglicization of the Scots Gaelic "Macfhearghus", a patronymic form of the personal name Fergus which translates as son of the angry (one). Fergus derives from the Gaelic elements ‘fear’ (man) and ‘gus’, thus meaning ‘man of vigor.’ While some poetic interpretations associate the name with anger or battle fury, this is not the primary etymological meaning.
Meaning & Origin of Ferguson
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ferguson is an Anglicization of the Scots Gaelic "Macfhearghus", a patronymic form of the personal name Fergus which translates as son of the angry (one). Fergus derives from the Gaelic elements ‘fear’ (man) and ‘gus’, thus meaning ‘man of vigor.’ While some poetic interpretations associate the name with anger or battle fury, this is not the primary etymological meaning.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Ferguson
The earliest SSA record of Ferguson as a baby boy name dates back to 1914, when 6 babies received it. 2019 was its biggest year on record, with 8 newborns named Ferguson — #8,889 in the national rankings. About 24% of every Ferguson on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. Ferguson last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 141 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Ferguson
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ferguson is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Fergusson
- Furguson
- Fergerson
- Furgerson
- Frisson
- Frison
- Friesen
- Vergessen
- Purgason
- Forgiven
- Forgotten
- Frozen
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ferguson
What does the name Ferguson mean?
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About the name Ferguson
Ferguson is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1914 and has accumulated 141 births in the dataset. Ferguson's peak popularity came in 2019 when it ranked #8,889. Use the chart and map above to compare Ferguson's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2019 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "F" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.