# Fergus (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/fergus/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | boys |
| Origin | Scottish Gaelic |
| Meaning | “true”, “man”, “most chosen one”, “chosen man” |
| Pronunciation | /ˈfɝɡəs/, 2 syllables |
| Nicknames | Fergy |
| Variant spellings | Vargus |
| US babies named this | 568 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 568 / 0 (0% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 2,532, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

From Irish or Scottish Gaelic Fearghas. The first element may be related to modern fìor (“true”) or fear (“man”) (cf. Fearchar). The second element has been understood to mean 'choice' (cf. Angus). Thus the name means either "most chosen one" or "chosen man".

## What it means

Fergus is grouped under truth.

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 12 | 6,722 |
| 2012 | 9 | 8,378 |
| 2013 | 20 | 4,680 |
| 2014 | 12 | 6,772 |
| 2015 | 21 | 4,596 |
| 2016 | 20 | 4,837 |
| 2017 | 17 | 5,357 |
| 2018 | 16 | 5,611 |
| 2019 | 15 | 5,906 |
| 2020 | 13 | 6,405 |
| 2021 | 22 | 4,534 |
| 2022 | 12 | 6,954 |
| 2023 | 23 | 4,504 |
| 2024 | 24 | 4,354 |
| 2025 | 19 | 5,092 |

### England and Wales, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 46 | 696 |
| 2012 | 80 | 478 |
| 2013 | 82 | 469 |
| 2014 | 67 | 544 |
| 2015 | 64 | 577 |
| 2016 | 70 | 550 |
| 2017 | 72 | 537 |
| 2018 | 63 | 584 |
| 2019 | 70 | 541 |
| 2020 | 47 | 706 |
| 2021 | 66 | 577 |
| 2022 | 83 | 480 |
| 2023 | 72 | 536 |
| 2024 | 93 | 434 |
| 2025 | 103 | 396 |

## People named Fergus

- Fergus Anderson, British racing driver (1909-1956)
- Fergus Kavanagh, field hockey player
- Fergus Hume, British writer (1859–1932)
- Fergus Millar, British classical historian (1935–2019)
- Fergus Bowes-Lyon, British Army officer (1889-1915); elder brother of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother; uncle
- Fergus Patrick McEvay, Canadian archbishop

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.