NameCensus.

UK surname

Ferguson

Scottish and Irish occupational surname denoting a son of a fergus, derived from Gaelic meaning "man of vigor".

In the 1881 census there were 21,268 people recorded with the Ferguson surname, ranking it #167 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 32,293, ranked #165, up from #167 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include New Cumnock, Benbecula and North Uist and Broadbay.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ferguson is 32,310 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 51.8%.

1881 census count

21,268

Ranked #167

Modern count

32,293

2016, ranked #165

Peak year

2014

32,310 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ferguson had 21,268 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #167 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 32,293 in 2016, ranked #165.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 25,965 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Ferguson surname distribution map

The map shows where the Ferguson surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Ferguson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ferguson over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 14,906 #147
1861 historical 15,344 #145
1881 historical 21,268 #167
1891 historical 22,389 #172
1901 historical 25,965 #175
1911 historical 9,413 #521
1997 modern 29,385 #182
1998 modern 30,619 #181
1999 modern 30,719 #181
2000 modern 30,695 #181
2001 modern 29,851 #181
2002 modern 30,656 #180
2003 modern 29,945 #179
2004 modern 30,060 #178
2005 modern 30,066 #173
2006 modern 30,162 #174
2007 modern 30,518 #172
2008 modern 30,717 #171
2009 modern 31,418 #172
2010 modern 31,965 #172
2011 modern 31,507 #172
2012 modern 31,106 #169
2013 modern 31,758 #169
2014 modern 32,310 #166
2015 modern 32,164 #165
2016 modern 32,293 #165

Geography

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Where Fergusons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Greenock and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to New Cumnock, Benbecula and North Uist, Broadbay, Logie and Blackness and Benderloch Trail. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 New Cumnock East Ayrshire
2 Benbecula and North Uist Na h-Eileanan Siar
3 Broadbay Na h-Eileanan Siar
4 Logie and Blackness Dundee City
5 Benderloch Trail Argyll and Bute

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ferguson

These lists show first names that appear often with the Ferguson surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ferguson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ferguson, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Ferguson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Ferguson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Ferguson is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ferguson is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ferguson falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ferguson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Ferguson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ferguson

The surname Ferguson has its origins in Scotland, where it first appeared around the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name 'Feargus', which means 'man of force' or 'brave man'. The name was particularly common in the counties of Ayr, Dumfries, and Fife.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists a John Fersithson as a tenant in Ayrshire. The name was also recorded in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1369, where a Thomas Fersone is mentioned.

The name Ferguson is closely associated with the Scottish clan of the same name, which has its roots in the ancient Celtic kingdom of Dalriada. The clan's ancestral lands were located in Argyllshire and the islands of Islay and Jura.

In the 16th century, the Fergusons were involved in the long-running feud between the Clan MacDonald of Islay and the Clan MacDougall of Lorn. One notable figure from this period was Fergus Mor MacFergus, who was the Chief of the Clan Ferguson in the early 1500s.

As the name spread across Scotland and beyond, various spellings emerged, including Fergussone, Fergusson, and Fergusoun. One of the earliest recorded instances of the modern spelling 'Ferguson' can be found in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland in 1492, where a John Ferguson is mentioned.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the surname Ferguson. These include:

1. Robert Ferguson (1637-1714), a Scottish minister and author known for his work 'The Interest of Reason in Religion'.

2. Adam Ferguson (1723-1816), a Scottish philosopher and historian who wrote 'An Essay on the History of Civil Society'.

3. Sir Samuel Ferguson (1810-1886), an Irish poet and antiquarian who played a significant role in the Celtic Revival movement.

4. Sarah Fergusson (1823-1892), a Scottish-born Australian pioneer and diarist, known for her accounts of life in colonial Australia.

5. Sir William Ferguson (1820-1887), a Scottish-born Australian politician and landowner who served as Premier of New South Wales.

The Ferguson surname has a rich history, rooted in the rugged terrain of Scotland and the ancient Celtic cultures that inhabited the region. It has since spread across the globe, carried by individuals who have left their mark in various fields, from literature and philosophy to politics and exploration.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ferguson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ferguson surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 4,428 Fergusons recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.61x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 4,428 6.61x
Perthshire 1,271 13.68x
Lancashire 1,258 0.51x
Ayrshire 1,207 7.79x
Midlothian 1,201 4.33x
Renfrewshire 1,080 6.73x
Durham 934 1.52x
Argyllshire 765 13.27x
Angus 694 3.62x
Stirlingshire 645 8.45x
Cumberland 623 3.49x
Northumberland 599 1.94x
Inverness-shire 581 9.40x
Yorkshire 555 0.27x
Middlesex 553 0.27x
Fife 438 3.57x
Dunbartonshire 353 6.34x
Aberdeenshire 321 1.67x
Surrey 285 0.28x
Clackmannanshire 284 16.61x
Ross-shire 281 4.94x
Dumfriesshire 260 5.68x
Kirkcudbrightshire 215 7.17x
Cheshire 190 0.42x
Kent 180 0.25x
Roxburghshire 173 4.61x
Buteshire 165 13.15x
Wigtownshire 138 5.02x
Hampshire 126 0.30x
Staffordshire 115 0.16x
West Lothian 87 2.79x
Berwickshire 82 3.27x
Essex 75 0.18x
Morayshire 63 1.96x
Banffshire 59 1.37x
Peeblesshire 59 6.06x
Westmorland 57 1.25x
East Lothian 56 2.04x
Warwickshire 56 0.11x
Glamorgan 51 0.14x
Derbyshire 50 0.15x
Devon 50 0.12x
Channel Islands 43 0.70x
Kincardineshire 33 1.31x
Selkirkshire 33 1.76x
Sutherland 30 1.88x
Royal Navy 27 1.09x
Sussex 27 0.08x
Berkshire 24 0.15x
Gloucestershire 24 0.06x
Nottinghamshire 23 0.08x
Caithness 21 0.74x
Flintshire 21 0.38x
Kinross-shire 20 3.82x
Somerset 18 0.05x
Brecknockshire 17 0.41x
Cambridgeshire 17 0.13x
Northamptonshire 17 0.09x
Pembrokeshire 17 0.26x
Wiltshire 16 0.09x
Norfolk 15 0.05x
Buckinghamshire 13 0.10x
Isle of Man 12 0.31x
Lincolnshire 12 0.04x
Cornwall 11 0.05x
Denbighshire 11 0.14x
Dorset 10 0.07x
Leicestershire 10 0.04x
Worcestershire 9 0.03x
Hertfordshire 7 0.05x
Bedfordshire 6 0.06x
Carmarthenshire 5 0.06x
Nairnshire 5 0.79x
Shropshire 4 0.02x
Suffolk 3 0.01x
Anglesey 1 0.03x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.01x
Monmouthshire 1 0.01x
Orkney 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 1,185 Fergusons recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.99x.

Place Total Index
Barony 1,185 6.99x
Govan 1,122 6.77x
Glasgow 786 6.61x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 586 5.25x
Dundee 336 4.69x
West Greenock 270 9.37x
Kilmarnock 160 8.67x
New Monkland 157 7.93x
Old Monkland 157 5.91x
Stirling 144 14.95x
Dunfermline 135 7.16x
Liverpool 133 0.89x
Liff Benvie 131 4.50x
South Leith 130 4.16x
Abbey 124 5.06x
Duirinish 124 39.34x
Kilchoman 123 67.99x
Neilston 119 14.77x
Alloa 116 13.99x
Paisley High Church 116 9.08x
Hamilton 111 5.94x
Bothwell 109 6.00x
Clackmannan 105 32.48x
Stewarton 105 34.24x
Falkirk 104 5.82x
Kilmadock 104 48.66x
Dalziel 101 14.02x
Bonhill 90 10.08x
Manchester 87 0.79x
Dalry 86 11.79x
Rothesay 86 14.15x
Aberdeen Old Machar 85 2.12x
Shotts 85 10.61x
St Ninians 84 11.10x
Kilwinning 83 16.59x
Callander 81 52.85x
Leeds 81 0.70x
Inverness 80 5.14x
Balquhidder 78 174.93x
Gateshead 78 1.69x
East Greenock 77 5.08x
Blairgowrie 76 20.67x
Cadder 76 15.37x
Cambusnethan 76 5.11x
Harris 76 24.45x
Everton 75 0.96x
North Uist 74 30.66x
Strachur Stralachlan 74 155.36x
Westoe 74 2.12x
Bishopwearmouth 73 1.38x
Dunoon Kilmun 70 15.57x
Comrie 69 51.91x
Maryhill 69 5.26x
Rutherglen 69 7.02x
Logie 66 19.79x
Blantyre 64 9.18x
Denny 63 15.51x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 63 2.36x
Caldewgate 62 6.35x
West Derby 62 0.86x
Westgate 62 3.25x
Inveresk 61 8.12x
Glassary 60 19.32x
New Cumnock 60 22.33x
Islington London 58 0.29x
Lambeth 58 0.32x
Stornoway 58 7.82x
Birkenhead 56 1.54x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 54 1.50x
Barrow In Furness 54 1.62x
Camberwell 54 0.41x
Cathcart 54 6.22x
Eastwood 54 5.46x
Perth East Church 54 6.16x
Dundonald 53 9.27x
Alyth 52 20.79x
St Pancras London 52 0.31x
Kirkintilloch 51 6.75x
Stockton On Tees 51 1.72x
Killin 50 55.11x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Ferguson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 482
Elizabeth 230
Jane 220
Margaret 189
Sarah 174
Ann 99
Annie 95
Ellen 83
Isabella 77
Hannah 69
Alice 66
Catherine 59
Agnes 54
Eliza 52
Martha 39
Jessie 37
Emma 36
Janet 36
Maria 32
Emily 30
Louisa 27
Frances 26
Edith 25
Anne 23
Kate 23
Charlotte 22
Clara 21
Eleanor 21
Harriet 19
Ada 17
Florence 16
Margt. 16
Grace 15
Susan 15
Barbara 14
Elizth. 14
Ethel 13
Fanny 13
Helen 13
Amelia 12
Dorothy 12
Rachel 12
Bridget 11
Georgina 11
Caroline 10
Henrietta 10
Rose 10
Susannah 10
Christina 9
Mabel 9

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Ferguson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 491
William 410
James 294
Thomas 211
Robert 169
George 160
Joseph 88
Charles 77
Henry 75
David 73
Richard 45
Alexander 44
Edward 33
Samuel 32
Alfred 29
Arthur 27
Andrew 26
Frederick 26
Daniel 23
Peter 23
Francis 22
Archibald 20
Matthew 20
Hugh 18
Patrick 17
Harry 16
Walter 15
Donald 14
Frank 14
Wm. 14
Thos. 13
Duncan 12
Albert 11
Adam 10
Jno. 10
Mark 10
Robt. 10
Fergus 9
Willm. 9
Ernest 8
Herbert 8
Geo. 7
Michael 7
Ralph 7
Anthony 6
Christopher 6
Edwin 6
Fred 6
Mathew 6
Neil 5

FAQ

Ferguson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ferguson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 21,268 people were recorded with the Ferguson surname. That placed it at #167 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ferguson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 32,293 in 2016. That gives Ferguson a modern rank of #165.

What does the Ferguson surname mean?

Scottish and Irish occupational surname denoting a son of a fergus, derived from Gaelic meaning "man of vigor".

What does the Ferguson map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ferguson bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.