Ferdinand
Of Visigothic origin, from elements usually read as fardi, meaning journey, and nanth, meaning daring. It became a royal name in Spain and later across Habsburg Europe.
Ferdinand in 2025
Ferdinand was given to 24 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 9,178th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 138,139 babies born.
The history of Ferdinand
Ferdinand reached its highest point in 1918, when 259 babies were given the name, ranking 766th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 488th, in 1882.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 8,909 babies have been named Ferdinand. Half of them were born before 1929, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Ferdinand by decade
| Decade | Babies named Ferdinand | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 383 | 488 |
| 1890s | 354 | 659 |
| 1900s | 330 | 863 |
| 1910s | 1,734 | 693 |
| 1920s | 1,774 | 859 |
| 1930s | 998 | 1,037 |
| 1940s | 603 | 1,621 |
| 1950s | 632 | 1,920 |
| 1960s | 523 | 2,257 |
| 1970s | 444 | 2,397 |
| 1980s | 335 | 3,449 |
| 1990s | 235 | 5,089 |
| 2000s | 195 | 8,698 |
| 2010s | 229 | 7,212 |
| 2020s | 140 | 8,143 |
Where Ferdinand is heading
Ferdinand has risen 20% over the past decade, from 20 babies in 2015 to 24 in 2025.
Names like Ferdinand
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Ferdinand.