Boy name · Germanic
Ferdinand
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: brave journeyFerdinand is a boy's name that comes from Germanic and means "brave journey". It is used in German.
- Meaning
- Brave journey
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #4294 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Ferdinand
As a boy's name, Ferdinand comes from Germanic and means "brave journey". It is used in German.
Its meaning puts Ferdinand on our names that mean strong list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Ferdinand on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Ferdinand on 4 lists.
“Gentle and grand, like the storybook bull who loved flowers”
From Funny middle names, grand old-fashioned middle names
“For a gentle giant who would rather smell the flowers”
From Boy dog names, distinguished names for gentleman dogs
“Grand and a little bit silly”
From Porch goose names, boy porch goose names
“Germanic for a daring journey or daring peace, for a gentle giant”
From Orange cat names, orange cat names for boys
How popular is Ferdinand?
- US rank in 2025
- #4,294
- 24 babies, 14 per million boys
- Best rank
- #229 in 1884
- Most babies: 259 in 1918
- Babies since 1880
- At least 8,909
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 350 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 310 per million |
| 1900s | 243 per million |
| 1910s | 260 per million |
| 1920s | 161 per million |
| 1930s | 94 per million |
| 1940s | 41 per million |
| 1950s | 31 per million |
| 1960s | 27 per million |
| 1970s | 27 per million |
| 1980s | 18 per million |
| 1990s | 12 per million |
| 2000s | 10 per million |
| 2010s | 12 per million |
| 2020s | 14 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,249 | #5,356 | #4,130 | #4,849 | #6,070 | #5,620 | #3,798 | #3,824 | #3,914 | #4,294 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Ferdinand
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- FernandoBrave journey (Germanic, boy)
- HernánBrave journey (Germanic, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- AmeliaPossibly vigorous, brave (Germanic, girl)
- LeonardoBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
- RicardaBrave ruler (Germanic, girl)
- AndreaManly, brave (Greek, girl)
- AndreasManly, brave (Greek, boy)
- BahadurBrave, valiant (Turkic, boy)
- BernadetteBrave bear (Germanic, girl)
- BernardBrave bear (Germanic, boy)
- BernardoBrave bear (Germanic, boy)
- GerardBrave spear (Germanic, boy)
Middle names for Ferdinand
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Germanic
- HugoHeart, mind (Germanic, boy)
- LiamShort for William, will helmet (Germanic, boy)
- RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
- AlaricRuler of all (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- ArmandoArmy man (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoEagle (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoldEagle power (Germanic, boy)
Ferdinand: common questions
What does the name Ferdinand mean?
Ferdinand comes from Germanic and means "brave journey".
Is Ferdinand a boy or girl name?
Ferdinand is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Ferdinand come from?
Ferdinand comes from Germanic and means "brave journey". Today it is used in German.
How popular is the name Ferdinand?
Ferdinand ranked #4,294 in the US in 2025, with 24 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Ferdinand?
Forms of Ferdinand with the same meaning and origin include Fernando (Spanish) and Hernán (Spanish).
What middle names go with Ferdinand?
Middle names that flow well with Ferdinand include Basil, Elton, Glenn, Grant and Hugh. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.