Ferguson surname meaning

Ferguson is the “son of Fergus” surname. Fergus is an old Gaelic personal name, traditionally associated with a meaning such as “man” or “virility,” though the deeper word history is less important than the patronymic structure. The surname developed in Scottish and Irish contexts, and Ferguson, Fergusson, and regional spellings could arise in more than one family. A modern Ferguson therefore need not descend from one medieval founder. The catalog classifies it as parent’s name, with high confidence in the descent-from-Fergus explanation.