boy's name
Fergus
FUR-gus
- Origin Irish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 6,959
Scotland
#107
2024 births
Fergus is a boy's name of Irish origin meaning "man of vigor," and its bearer's exile is what sets the Táin in motion. It ranks 107th in Scotland and 398th in England and Wales.
- Fergus is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in England and Wales in 1997, when 122 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in England and Wales.
- Today about 1 in 5,116 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1996.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Fergus over time
Births per decade in England and Wales, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 437 |
| 2000s | 945 |
| 2010s | 686 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 464 |
What Fergus means
Fergus means man of vigor, or man of strength. The compound joins fer, a man, with gus, force or vigor — the same second element as in Angus, where it pairs with the number one instead.
Where Fergus comes from
Fergus is the Irish Fearghus, from fer, a man, and gus, vigor. Its literary bearer is Fergus mac Róich, former king of Ulster, who acts as guarantor for the safety of Naoise and the sons of Uisneach; when Conchobar breaks that guarantee and kills them, Fergus goes over to Connacht in fury and fights against his own province in the Táin Bó Cúailnge. He is also, in some versions, Medb's lover. History gives Fergus Mór, the semi-legendary founder of Dál Riata who by tradition brought the Gaels from Antrim to Argyll around 500 — which is why the name is as Scottish as it is Irish, and why Scottish kings traced their descent to him. Yeats's Who Goes with Fergus keeps the name in circulation in poetry.
Fergus in use
Fergus ranks 107th in Scotland with 49 births in 2024 and 398th in England and Wales, and it is stable in our data with a peak in 1997. Our records carry it from 1996 in the market it charts from. It is rare in Ireland at 979th, which is unexpected for a name this central to Irish literature, and very rare in the United States at 5,135th.
How popular is Fergus?
In 2025, Fergus was given to 103 babies in England and Wales, ranking #398 that year. It is a rare choice.
Where Fergus is used
Figures for England and Wales withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Fergus
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Fergus also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Fergus over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Fergus
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Fergus in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Fergus
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Fergus — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Fergus
What does the name Fergus mean?
Fergus means "man of vigor," from fer, a man, and gus, force.
Who was Fergus mac Róich?
The former king of Ulster whose broken guarantee drove him to Connacht, where he fought against his own province in the Táin.
Is Fergus Scottish or Irish?
Both. Fergus Mór is the traditional founder of Dál Riata, which is why Scottish kings traced descent to him.
How popular is Fergus?
107th in Scotland and 398th in England and Wales.
Is Fergus a girl's or a boy's name?
Fergus is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Fergus?
Fergus has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Fergus?
Fergus is usually shortened to Fergie and Gus.
Is Fergus a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Fergus currently ranks #107 in England and Wales. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.