Unisex · #10,642 in 2026

Ferrell

Ferrell is an English surname of Irish origin.

Current Rank
#10,642
Peak Rank
#915 (1935)
Total Babies
2K
5-Yr Trend
Stable
👧 Girl peak #2,732 (162 total)
👦 Boy peak #915 (2K total)
👦As Boy Name
1897
First Year
2015
Last Year
1935
Peak Year
#915
Peak Rank
2K
Total Count
99
Years Active
👧As Girl Name
1915
First Year
1962
Last Year
1923
Peak Year
#2732
Peak Rank
162
Total Count
24
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Ferrell

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

Ferrell is an English surname of Irish origin.

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

Origin & history
The name may be derived from the patronym Ó Fearghail (meaning "descendant of Fearghal", whose name means "man of valour"). If this is so, it would be another version of the names Farrell , O'Farrell , and Farrall, in that they are anglicized forms of the Gaelic patronym Ó Fearghail . See also O'Ferrall .

The Story of Ferrell

As a girl name

Ferrell first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1915, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1923, when 12 Ferrells were born — ranking #2,732 that year. As of 2026, Ferrell ranks #6,580 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 162 Ferrells have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Ferrell first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1897, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1935, when 48 Ferrells were born — ranking #915 that year. As of 2026, Ferrell ranks #10,642 for boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 2K Ferrells have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Ferrell

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

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ferrell

What does the name Ferrell mean?
Ferrell is an English surname of Irish origin.
How popular is Ferrell in 2026?
In 2026, Ferrell ranks #10,642 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.
When was Ferrell most popular?
Ferrell reached its peak popularity in 1935, ranking #915 that year with 48 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Ferrell most popular?
Ferrell has historically been most popular in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Ferrell.
Is Ferrell a unisex name?
Yes — Ferrell is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 8% of Ferrells assigned female and 92% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Ferrell?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Ferrell include Alfie, Mikeal, Dijon. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Ferrell

Ferrell is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1897 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Ferrell's peak popularity came in 1935 when it ranked #915. Use the chart and map above to compare Ferrell'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.