The Fernandes surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 18,018 people carried this name — #2,007 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 16,400 people counted. That is up 25% from 14,385 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Fernandes surname
Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese Fernandez. By surface analysis, Fernando + -es (“son of”).
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Fernandes» (Portuguese), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
7,529 people named Fernandes live in Switzerland.
They live in all 26 of Switzerland’s cantons, most of all in Vaud.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 2,930 people named Fernandes.
Most of them — 1,740 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 82 départements, most often Paris.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 2,883 people named Fernandes live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 125 people named Fernandes live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Hainaut.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In Poland’s population register
61 people named Fernandes have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 171 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 12 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Subcarpathian.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In the Nordic population registers
200 people named Fernandes are counted in Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Fernandes in American newspapers,
1900–1958.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 14,612 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Fernandes,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Vasco Fernandes Coutinho, senhor do couto de Leomil 1301–1399 -
Ambrósio Fernandes 1551–1620 · missionary -
Paulo Fernandes Viana 1758–1821 · judge -
Braz Fernandes 1791–1865 · diplomat -
Joaquim Jerônimo Fernandes da Cunha 1827–1903 · politician
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 288 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Fernandes.
- Ferger 401 · U.S. census
- Ferla 176 · U.S. census
- Ferland 2,277 · U.S. census
- Ferlin 134 · U.S. census
- Fermin 5,057 · U.S. census
- Fernand 216 · U.S. census
- Fernandez 180,842 · U.S. census
- Fernando 5,596 · U.S. census
- Fernbach 211 · U.S. census
- Fernette 139 · U.S. census
- Ferney 143 · U.S. census
- Feron 190 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Fernandes is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.