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At a Glance: Name: Fergus – Meaning: chosen man – Origin: Scottish/Irish Gaelic – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: FUR-gus
Fergus is a boy's name rooted in Scottish and Irish Gaelic, pronounced FUR-gus. You may have heard it explained as meaning 'man of vigor' or 'man of strength' — that's the popular version, but a closer look at the name traces it to 'chosen man' instead. It carries a vintage feel paired with a bold, well-traveled character, the kind of name that reads as both old-fashioned and adventurous.
Meaning & Origin of Fergus
Meaning: Chosen man.
Origin: Scottish/Irish Gaelic.
A common claim: Widely said to mean 'man of vigor' or 'man of strength.' Actually: Wiktionary's analysis treats the second element of Fergus as meaning "choice," making the more accurate meaning "chosen man" rather than "man of vigor" or "man of strength."
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Fergus
Phonetic: FUR-gus IPA: /ˈfɜːrɡəs/
Popularity of Fergus
SSA records for Fergus stretch back to 1916, with the name hitting its peak popularity in 1918 at rank #2760 (10 babies given the name that year). By 2024, it had settled at rank #4453, given to 23 babies.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1916–2024.
Make Fergus Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Fergus, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Fergus mean?
Chosen man. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Fergus)
How do you pronounce Fergus?
Fergus is pronounced FUR-gus (IPA: /ˈfɜːrɡəs/).
Is Fergus a popular name right now?
Fergus peaked at #2760 in 1918 and is ranked #4453 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1916–2024.)
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