Total births
8,909
Boys' name · since 1880
Ferdinand
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 8,909 babies named Ferdinand, peaking in 1918. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3897
- among boys today
- 8,909
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 73%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Ferdinand is the #3897 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 8,909 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Ferdinand recorded 8,909 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #3897 nationally today, ahead of 73% of boys, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #3897 among boys today
- 8,909 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 73% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ferdinand is currently the #3897 boys' name in America, more common than 73% of boys - 8,909 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #3897
- among boys today
- 8,909
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 73%
- more common than other boys
Ferdinand vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3897
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 73% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Ferdinand was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
259 babies were named Ferdinand in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Ferdinand compares
8,909 Top 9% higher than 91% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ferdinand's all-time total is 24x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ferdinand | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 8,909 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 259 | 23 | 22,252 |
Ferdinand's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ferdinand's full recorded timeline at 1953, 29% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 71% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 2020, with just 14 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1918 peak of 259 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ferdinand at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1918
Current rank
#3,897
Active since
1880
Ferdinand popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 259
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Ferdinand by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Ferdinand's strongest decade.
1,774 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Ferdinand births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 383
1880s
383 births
- 1890s 354
1890s
354 births
- 1900s 330
1900s
330 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,734 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,774 births
- 1930s
1930s
998 births
- 1940s 603
1940s
603 births
- 1950s 632
1950s
632 births
- 1960s 523
1960s
523 births
- 1970s 444
1970s
444 births
- 1980s 335
1980s
335 births
- 1990s 235
1990s
235 births
- 2000s 195
2000s
195 births
- 2010s 229
2010s
229 births
- 2020s 140
2020s
140 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 1,774 births (20% of all-time use).
How Ferdinand compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Ferdinand's total volume
Ferdinand vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Ferdinand by state
Where Ferdinand concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 1,503 | 16.9% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 493 | 5.5% |
| #3 | Louisiana | | 478 | 5.4% |
| #4 | New Jersey | | 362 | 4.1% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 283 | 3.2% |
| #6 | California | | 224 | 2.5% |
| #7 | Wisconsin | | 196 | 2.2% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 156 | 1.8% |
New York share of Ferdinand's total US births 16.9%
Even split
1,503 of 8,909 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 26 reporting states.
Ferdinand appears in 26 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ferdinand? ▼
8,909 babies have been named Ferdinand since 1880. It currently ranks #3897 among boys. The peak year was 1918 with 259 births.
When was Ferdinand most popular? ▼
Ferdinand was most popular in the 1920s decade with 1,774 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Ferdinand most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ferdinand are New York (1,503 births), Pennsylvania (493 births), Louisiana (478 births).
How long has the name Ferdinand been used? ▼
Ferdinand has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Ferdinand? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Fernando, Fermin, Ferris, Ferrell, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ferdinand's data
- Ferdinand's decade-level peak was the 1920s (1,774 total births); usage has since declined to 140 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Ferdinands (1,503 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ferdinand
Nearby Names Like Ferdinand
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ferdinand
Fernando Boy
#352 103,139 births
Fermin Boy
#3698 4,832 births
Ferris Boy
#2424 2,837 births
Ferrell Boy
1,911 births
Fernand Boy
1,493 births
Compare Ferdinand side by side: Ferdinand vs Fernando Ferdinand vs Fermin Ferdinand vs Ferris
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ferdinand
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ferdinand: #3897 Boys' Name - 8,909 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ferdinand. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ferdinand draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.