Boy · Gothic, through Spanish
Fernando
Say it: fair-NAHN-doh
Meaning
Spanish form of Ferdinand, a name of Visigothic origin whose elements are uncertain (often explained as 'journey' or 'peace' with 'daring').
Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.
A Castilian royal name that remains common across the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking world.
Its wave through time
Most used in the 2000s
In the United States
- 99,064 babies given this name since 1880
- At its height in 2006, about 1 in 745 boys
- 931 babies in 2020
Through the ages
- The High and Late Middle Ages1100 to 1450
- The Renaissance1400 to 1600
- The Colonial Americas1500 to 1800
- The Modern Age1880 to today
Used by
The family of the name
Other spellings: Hernando, Hernán
| English | Ferdinand |
|---|---|
| German | Ferdinand |
| Portuguese | Fernando |
| Italian | Ferdinando |
| Portuguese | Fernão |
| Catalan | Ferran |
Famous bearers
- Fernando I, king of Castile
- Fernando Pessoa, Portuguese poet
- Ferdinand II of Aragon, the Catholic Monarch
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- Medieval Spanish and Portuguese chronicles and charters
- Royal and noble genealogies
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.