Ferdinand: Last Name and Heraldic Notes

Ferdinand began as an English family name.

What does the surname Ferdinand mean?

The usual explanation, from Elsdon Smith, is “descendant of Ferdinand (journey, venture)”. About 2,690 people in the United States were recorded as Ferdinand in 2010, placing it 11,653 on the national list. French birth records list 1,940 children named Ferdinand between 1891 and 2000.

How common is the Ferdinand last name?

Like many surnames, it grew out of a personal name.

Does every Ferdinand family have a crest?

A coat of arms was granted to a particular family line, not to everyone named Ferdinand, so a shared surname is a clue rather than a claim to the arms.

Get the complete Ferdinand report, with a museum-style coat of arms.