Fergus
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- FUR-gus
- Origin
- Irish
- UK rank, 2025
- #310 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #5,044 for boys
- Style
- Big in Scotland
Fergus is a boys' name of Irish origin, meaning “man of vigour”. In 2025 it ranked 310th for boys in the UK (162 babies) and 5,044th for boys in the US (19 babies).
What does Fergus mean?
Irish: anglicized form of Fearghus
“man of vigour”
Fergus mac Róich is a hero of the Ulster Cycle, and Fergus Mór is said to have founded the kingdom of Dál Riata in Scotland.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Fergus a girl's or a boy's name?
Fergus is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 162 boys in the UK and 19 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Fergus in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 310th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 162 about 1 in 1,900 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising up 35% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 162 boys in the UK were named Fergus, making it the 310th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 441st. Its busiest year was 2007, with 167 boys.
2025 had more boys named Fergus than any year since 2007.
Half of all the boys named Fergus in the UK since 1996 were born between 2003 and 2018. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 396th in England and Wales and 91st in Scotland.
Fergus in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 162 | #310 |
| 2024 | 142 | #348 |
| 2023 | 124 | #381 |
| 2022 | 141 | #351 |
| 2021 | 141 | #358 |
| 2020 | 101 | #441 |
| 2019 | 112 | #429 |
| 2018 | 104 | #445 |
| 2017 | 119 | #411 |
| 2016 | 111 | #426 |
| 2015 | 109 | #432 |
| 2014 | 122 | #386 |
| 2013 | 118 | #391 |
| 2012 | 130 | #377 |
| 2011 | 90 | #469 |
| 2010 | 112 | #401 |
| 2009 | 136 | #330 |
| 2008 | 156 | #299 |
| 2007 | 167 | #269 |
| 2006 | 154 | #271 |
| 2005 | 141 | #269 |
| 2004 | 117 | #300 |
| 2003 | 138 | #258 |
| 2002 | 127 | #257 |
| 2001 | 143 | #236 |
| 2000 | 128 | #254 |
| 1999 | 133 | #259 |
| 1998 | 129 | #257 |
| 1997 | 162 | #225 |
| 1996 | 153 | #225 |
How popular is Fergus in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 5,044th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 19 about 1 in 90,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Rising up 50% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 19 boys in the US were named Fergus, making it the 5,044th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 6,292nd. Its busiest year was 2024, with 24 boys. It first appears in the records in 1916.
Half of all the boys named Fergus in the US since 1880 were born between 1977 and 2018, the years shaded on the chart below.
Fergus in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 19 | #5,044 |
| 2024 | 24 | #4,318 |
| 2023 | 23 | #4,452 |
| 2022 | 12 | #6,822 |
| 2021 | 22 | #4,490 |
| 2020 | 13 | #6,292 |
| 2019 | 15 | #5,808 |
| 2018 | 16 | #5,536 |
| 2017 | 17 | #5,293 |
| 2016 | 20 | #4,775 |
| 2015 | 21 | #4,543 |
| 2014 | 12 | #6,627 |
| 2013 | 20 | #4,619 |
| 2012 | 9 | #8,152 |
| 2011 | 12 | #6,572 |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 7 | #9,859 |
| 2008 | 12 | #6,758 |
| 2007 | 12 | #6,618 |
| 2006 | 6 | #10,655 |
| 2005 | 5 | #11,464 |
| 2004 | 10 | #6,970 |
| 2003 | 11 | #6,251 |
| 2002 | 5 | #10,660 |
| 2001 | 8 | #7,529 |
| 2000 | 15 | #4,779 |
| 1999 | 13 | #5,029 |
| 1998 | 8 | #6,837 |
| 1997 | 13 | #4,663 |
| 1996 | 8 | #6,489 |
| 1995 | 7 | #6,985 |
| 1994 | 5 | #8,794 |
| 1993 | 6 | #7,631 |
| 1992 | 0 | – |
| 1991 | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 0 | – |
| 1989 | 0 | – |
| 1988 | 6 | #6,420 |
| 1987 | 0 | – |
| 1986 | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 5 | #6,311 |
| 1983 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 0 | – |
| 1981 | 0 | – |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 5 | #5,769 |
| 1977 | 5 | #5,843 |
| 1976 | 0 | – |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 5 | #5,099 |
| 1972 | 5 | #4,983 |
| 1971 | 5 | #4,905 |
| 1970 | 5 | #4,722 |
| 1969 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 8 | #2,984 |
| 1966 | 6 | #3,535 |
| 1965 | 6 | #3,535 |
| 1964 | 9 | #2,853 |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 7 | #3,303 |
| 1961 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 5 | #3,986 |
| 1958 | 0 | – |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 8 | #2,904 |
| 1952 | 7 | #3,092 |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 5 | #3,523 |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 5 | #3,516 |
| 1936 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 5 | #3,640 |
| 1932 | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 5 | #3,999 |
| 1929 | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 6 | #3,778 |
| 1926 | 6 | #3,706 |
| 1925 | 5 | #4,195 |
| 1924 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 0 | – |
| 1922 | 0 | – |
| 1921 | 5 | #4,320 |
| 1920 | 0 | – |
| 1919 | 6 | #3,735 |
| 1918 | 10 | #2,698 |
| 1917 | 0 | – |
| 1916 | 7 | #3,176 |
Nicknames for Fergus
- Gus 39 boys in the UK in 2025
Names like Fergus
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Ronan, Finn, Rowan, Callan, Finley, Kian, Declan, Angus, Flynn, Magnus, Oisin, Luca
Other spellings of Fergus
Fearghus
More Irish names
Oscar, Rory, Maeve, Aiden, Ryan, Nolan, Quinn, Orla, Cody, Erin, Connor, Casey, Kennedy, Lennon, Cillian, Kevin
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Fergus: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/fergus, updated 20 October 2026.