Humanities › History & Culture FERGUSON - Name Meaning & Surname Origin Share Flipboard Email Print History & Culture Genealogy Surnames Basics Genealogy Fun Vital Records Around the World American History African American History African History Ancient History and Culture Asian History European History Inventions Latin American History Medieval & Renaissance History Military History The 20th Century Women's History View More By Kimberly Powell Kimberly Powell Genealogy Expert Certificate in Genealogical Research, Boston University B.A., Carnegie Mellon University Kimberly Powell is a professional genealogist and the author of The Everything Guide to Online Genealogy. She teaches at the Genealogical Institute of Pittsburgh and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on April 08, 2019 FERGUSON Surname Meaning & Origin: Ferguson is a patronymic surname meaning "son of Fergus." The given name Fergus, comes from Fearghas, derived from the Gaelic fear meaning "man," and gus meaning "vigor." FERGUSON is the 34th most common surname in Scotland. Surname Origin: Scottish, Irish Alternate Surname Spellings: MACFERGUS, FERGESEN, FERGERSON, FURGUSUN, FERGERSEN, FERGUSSON, FARGUSON Famous People With the Surname FERGUSON Harry Ferguson - Irish inventor and pioneer Adam Ferguson - Scottish philosopher, sometimes called the "father of modern sociology." Patrick Ferguson - Scottish officer in the British Army, inventor of the breech-loading rifle. With the help of this weapon, the Americans were defeated at the Battle of Brandywine (1777). Colin Ferguson - murderer found guilty of the Long Island Railroad Massacre Genealogy Resources for the Surname FERGUSON Common Scottish Surnames & Their MeaningsUncover the meaning of your Scottish last name with this free guide to Scottish surnames meanings and origins. Common Surnames of IrelandDiscover the meaning of your Irish last name, and find where in Ireland these Irish surnames are most commonly found. Ferguson GenealogyWebsite dedicated to helping Ferguson family researchers connect to their 18th Century Virginia roots. Fergus(s)on DNA ProjectA DNA project spearheaded by the Clan Fergusson Society of North America to create a database of DNA corresponding to different Scottish and Irish subdivisions such as those discussed in Records of the Clan and Name of Fergusson, Ferguson and Fergus, by James Ferguson and Robert Menzies Fergusson, Edinburgh, 1895. Ferguson Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Ferguson surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Ferguson query. FamilySearch - FERGUSON GenealogyFind records, queries, and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Ferguson surname and its variations. FERGUSON Surname & Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Ferguson surname. Cousin Connect - FERGUSON Genealogy QueriesRead or post genealogy queries for the surname Ferguson, and sign up for free notification when new Ferguson queries are added. -- Looking for the meaning of a given name? Check out "First Name Meanings" -- Can't find your last name listed? Suggest a surname to be added to the "Glossary of Surname Meanings & Origins." ----------------------- References: Surname Meanings & Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Powell, Kimberly. "FERGUSON - Name Meaning & Surname Origin." ThoughtCo, Jul. 30, 2021, thoughtco.com/ferguson-name-meaning-and-origin-1422502. Powell, Kimberly. (2021, July 30). FERGUSON - Name Meaning & Surname Origin. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/ferguson-name-meaning-and-origin-1422502 Powell, Kimberly. "FERGUSON - Name Meaning & Surname Origin." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/ferguson-name-meaning-and-origin-1422502 (accessed June 1, 2023). copy citation Featured Video