NameCensus.

UK surname

Ferran

A Catalan surname derived from the name Ferran.

In the 1881 census there were 22 people recorded with the Ferran surname, ranking it #30,464 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 138, ranked #25,127, up from #30,464 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Gallowgate North and Bellgrove, Braidfauld and Bromsgrove.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ferran is 138 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 527.3%.

1881 census count

22

Ranked #30,464

Modern count

138

2016, ranked #25,127

Peak year

2016

138 bearers

Map years

2

2006 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ferran had 22 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,464 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 138 in 2016, ranked #25,127.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 34 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Ferran surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ferran surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ferran 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 26 #28,667
1861 historical 34 #29,685
1881 historical 22 #30,464
1891 historical 29 #31,963
1901 historical 23 #31,466
1911 historical 28 #30,296
1997 modern 116 #24,688
1998 modern 98 #27,923
1999 modern 100 #27,757
2000 modern 103 #27,280
2001 modern 102 #27,093
2002 modern 97 #28,383
2003 modern 102 #27,383
2004 modern 100 #27,964
2005 modern 110 #26,430
2006 modern 108 #27,015
2007 modern 108 #27,391
2008 modern 109 #27,533
2009 modern 113 #27,520
2010 modern 117 #27,557
2011 modern 123 #26,512
2012 modern 130 #25,559
2013 modern 136 #25,252
2014 modern 133 #25,851
2015 modern 134 #25,607
2016 modern 138 #25,127

Geography

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Where Ferrans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Gallowgate North and Bellgrove, Braidfauld, Bromsgrove, Birmingham and Elmbridge. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Gallowgate North and Bellgrove Glasgow City
2 Braidfauld Glasgow City
3 Bromsgrove 004 Bromsgrove
4 Birmingham 111 Birmingham
5 Elmbridge 016 Elmbridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ferran

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ferran

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ferran, 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 Ferran surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Ferran 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, Ferran 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

Ferran is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ferran 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 Ferran is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Ferran

The surname Ferran has its origins in Spain, where it first emerged during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish and Catalan word "ferro," meaning "iron." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who worked with iron, such as a blacksmith or metalworker.

In its earliest recorded forms, the name appeared as "Ferran" and "Ferrandis" in various parts of Spain, including Catalonia, Valencia, and Aragon. Some of the earliest documented examples of the name can be found in records from the 13th and 14th centuries.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Ferran was Ferran I of Aragon (1380-1416), who was the King of Aragon, Valencia, Sardinia, Corsica, and Sicily from 1412 until his death. He was known for his efforts to consolidate and strengthen the Crown of Aragon during his reign.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Ferran Núñez (1572-1644), a Spanish writer and historian who authored several works on the history of Spain and its colonies. His most famous work was "Crónica de los Reyes Católicos," which chronicled the reigns of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Ferran also appeared in various place names throughout Spain, such as Ferrán-Núñez, a municipality in the province of Córdoba, and Ferran, a village in the province of Granada.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname outside of Spain was Ferran Martínez (c. 1370-1440), a Catalan explorer and navigator who is believed to have been one of the first Europeans to discover the Canary Islands in the early 15th century.

Another notable figure with the surname Ferran was Ferran Sunyer i Balaguer (1912-1967), a Spanish mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the field of quantum mechanics and was a member of the Royal Spanish Academy of Sciences.

While the surname Ferran is primarily associated with Spain and its historical regions, it has also been found in other parts of the world, likely due to migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in Spain, where it was closely linked to the metalworking trade and later adopted as a hereditary surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ferran families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ferran 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. Lancashire leads with 13 Ferrans recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.11x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 13 5.11x
Middlesex 5 2.33x
Essex 2 4.72x
Lanarkshire 1 1.44x
Renfrewshire 1 6.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 4 Ferrans recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.25x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 4 19.25x
Liverpool 4 25.89x
Wigan 4 112.36x
Parr 3 329.67x
Leyton 2 273.97x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 49.51x
Govan 1 5.83x
Greenock Oldor West 1 2000.00x
Pendleton In Salford 1 33.00x
St Luke London 1 29.07x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 3
Maria 2
Ada 1
Ann 1
Florence 1
Jane 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
Thomas 2
William 2
Augustus 1
James 1
Joseph 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Ferran households.

FAQ

Ferran surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ferran surname in 1881?

In 1881, 22 people were recorded with the Ferran surname. That placed it at #30,464 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ferran surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 138 in 2016. That gives Ferran a modern rank of #25,127.

What does the Ferran surname mean?

A Catalan surname derived from the name Ferran.

What does the Ferran map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Ferran 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.