Ferdinand

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Ferdinand

Gender: Masculine
Language: English, German
Etymology:
Ferdinand comes from a Germanic name meaning “Peace Ready” or “ Journey Ready” from “frith” or “fred (peace), or “farth” (journey), and “nand” (ready).

History:
Ferdinand is a Germanic name, although it was never common in medieval German lands. Early on, the name can be found in France (as Ferrand) and it was brought to England with the Normans (although it died out by the 14th century).

More importantly, Ferdinand was adopted the Visigothic tribes that conquered Spain in the 9th century. Ferdinand passed into the Spanish royal families. Most famously, it was born by Ferdinand II, or V, (1452-1516) husband to Queen Isabella, and patron of Columbus. His daughter, Joanna the Mad (1479-1555), married Archduke Philip of Austria (1478-1506) in 1496 and Ferdinand was returned to German speakers. Ferdinand became a traditional name in the Habsburg royal families, belong to Archduke Franz Ferdianand, whose murder set off WWI.

In the 16th century, Ferdinand made a brief reappearance in England by supporters of Queen Mary and her Spanish husband, Philip. Any modern use may be in honor of Columbus and the king who supported him.

Pronunciation: fur-dee-nand.

Diminutives:
Italian: Nando.

Alternates:
Basque: Erlantz.
French: Fernand.
French (Old): Ferrand.
Hungarian: Nándor.
Italian: Ferdinando.
Portuguese: Fernão, Ferrão, Fernando.
Romanian: Nandru.
Spanish: Fernando, Fenando, Hernán, Hernando.

Surnames:
English: Farrand, Farrant, Farren.
Spanish: Fernandez.

Feminine: Fernanda.

See also: Fernando (Fernán, Hernán, Hernando), Ferrand.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
Ferdinand Bol (1616-1680)
Dutch painter.
Ferdinando Paer (1771-1839)
Italian composer.
Ferdinand Hérold (1791-1833)
French composer.
Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810-1876)
German poet.
Ferdinand Hiller (1811-1885)
German composer.
Ferdinand Fabre (1830-1898)
French novelist.
Ferdinand Hodler (1853-1918)
Swiss painter.
Fernand Léger (1881-1955)
French painter.
Fernand Crommelynck (1886-1970)
Belgian playwright.

Educators, Scholar, and Social Workers:
Ferdinando Galiani (1728-1787)
Italian economist.
Ferdinand Christian Baur (1792-1860)
German theologian.
Ferdinand Keller (1800-1881)
Swiss archaeologist.
Ferdinand Kürnberger (1821-1879)
Austrian political writer.
Ferdinand Richthofen (1833-1905)
German geographer.
Ferdinand Tönnies (1855-1936)
German sociologist.
Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913)
Swiss linguist.
Ferdinand Lot (1866-1952)
French historian.
Ferdinand Sommer (1875-1962)
German linguist.
Fernand Barudel (1902-1985)
French historian.

Military:
Ferdinand Alphonse Hamelin (1796-1864)
French naval officer.
Ferdinand-Louis-Philippe-Charles-Henri, duc de Orleáns (1810-1842)
Son of King Louis-Philippe and a noted soldier.
Ferdinand, Graf von Zeppelin (1838-1917)
German military officer. Creator of the airship.
Ferdinand Foch (1851-1929)
Allied commander in France during WWI.

Miscellaneous:
Ferdinand Magellan (Fernão de Magalthães) (1480-1521)
Portuguese explorer.
Ferdinand Petrovich, Baron von Wrangel (1794-1870)
Russian explorer.
Ferdinand Porsche (1875-1951)
Austrian car designer.
Ferdinand Porsche (1909-1998)
Austrian car designer.

Political Figures:
Ferdinand Alvarez de Toledo, Duque de Alva (1507-1582)
Spanish statesman.
Sir Ferdinando Gorges (1566-1647)
English owner of companies who founded American colonies.
Ferdinand, Vicomte de Lesseps (1805-1894)
French diplomat.
Ferdinand Lassalle (1825-1864)
German politician.
Ferdinand Bebel (1840-1913)
German Socialist.
Fernand de Brinon (1885-1947)
French politician.
Ferdinand E. Marcos (1917-1989)
Philippine politician.
Ferdinand Léopold Oyono (1929-)
African statesman.

Royalty:
Ferdinand IV (1285-1312)
King of Castile and Leon.
Ferdinand II the Catholic (Fernando) (1452-1516)
King of Aragon and Castile (as Ferdinand V) and Naples (Ferdinand III) and Sicily (Ferdinand II). Husband to Isabella, he helped send Columbus on his fateful voyage.
Ferdinand I (Ferdinando de Medici) (1549-1609)
Grand Duke of Tuscany.
Ferdinand II (Ferdinando de Medici) (1610-1670)
Grand Duke of Tuscany.
Ferdinand Maria (1636-1679)
Elector of Bavaria.
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies (1751-1825)
Also King of Naples (Ferdinand IV).
Ferdinand III (1769-1824)
Grand Duke of Tuscany.
Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies (1810-1859)
A member of the House of Bourbon.
Ferdinand I (1861-1948)
King of Bulgaria.
Franz Ferdinand (1863-1914)
Heir to the Austria-Hungarian Empire. His murder sparked WWI.

Scientists:
Ferdinand Verbiest (1623-1688)
Dutch missionary and astronomer.
Ferdinand von Hebra (1816-1880)
Austrian physician.
Sir Ferdinand, Baron von Mueller (1825-1896)
German-Australian botanist.
Ferdinand Cohn (1828-1898)
Polish botanist.
Ferdinand V. Hayden (1829-1887)
American geologist.
Ferdinand Frobenius (1825-1896)
German mathematician.
Ferdinand Zirkel (1838-1912)
German geologist.
Ferdinand, Ritter von Mannlicher (1848-1904)
German gun designer.
Ferdinand Braun (1850-1918)
German physicist. Co-winner of the 1909 Nobel Prize for Physics.
Ferdinand von Lindemann (1852-1939)
German mathematician.
Fernand-Isidore Widal (1862-1929)
French bacteriologist.
Ferdinand August Silcox (1882-1939)
American conservationist.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.065 % named Fernando
0.007 % named Ferdinand

Popularity of Ferdinand:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1900-1910: 296th most popular.
1910-1920: 384th most popular.
1920-1930: 456th most popular.
1930-1940: 592nd most popular.
1940-1950: 677th most popular.
1950-1960: 726th most popular.
1960-1970: 994th most popular.
1970-1980: 960th most popular.
1980-2000: N/A

In France...
1900: 51st most popular.
1910: 74th most popular.
1920: 86th most popular.
1930: 95th most popular.
1940: 132nd most popular.
1949: 199th most popular.
1950-2000: N/A

Popularity of Fernand:
Popularity (for newborns):
In France...
1900: 25th most popular.
1910: 22nd most popular.
1920: 21st most popular.
1930: 31st most popular.
1940: 38th most popular.
1950: 74th most popular.
1960: 128th most popular.
1963: 186th most popular.
1970-2000: N/A