# Ferguson (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/ferguson/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname transferred from the given name originating in Scotland from Clan Fergusson and now widespread in the English-speaking world.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 146,426 |
| US rank (2010) | 188 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 2,109 people |
| Change since 2000 | +2.9% (142,256 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈfɝɡəsən/, 3 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Fergusson, Furgason, Furgerson, Furgeson |

## Etymology

From Fergus + -son, translation of Gaelic MacFhearguis, "son of Fergus".

## Who carries it

Share of people named Ferguson in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 75% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 19% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.5% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
| Two or more races | 2.2% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Ferguson in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, The Bahamas, Poland and the Kingdom of Great Britain.

## People named Ferguson

- Keith Ferguson, American voice actor (born 1972)
- Craig Ferguson, British actor
- Jesse Tyler Ferguson, American actor
- Tony Ferguson, American mixed martial artist (born 1984)
- Priah Ferguson, American actress (born 2006)
- Christopher Ferguson, American astronaut
- James Ferguson, American astronomer (1797–1867)
- Miriam A. Ferguson, American politician (1875-1961)
- Marilyn Ferguson, American writer (1938-2008)
- Cathy Ferguson, American swimmer
- Chris Ferguson, American poker player
- Jay R. Ferguson, American actor

and 39 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Fergus, Farkas, Fregoso, Fragoso, Frakes, Fresquez.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.