Fergus

fur-gus

Scottish and Irish

"man of force"

Fergus Origin and Meaning

The name Fergus is a boy's name of Scottish origin meaning "man of force".

In Celtic lore, Fergus was the ideal of manly courage, making it a charming, slightly quirky Scottish and Irish favorite.

As a name, Fergus forms a link between Ireland and Scotland, as Gaelic tradition has it that Irish Prince Fergus Mac Eirc and his two brothers crossed the sea and founded the kingdom of Argyll in Scotland, thereby making this an excellent choice for parents of either country or those of combined heritage.

Fergus has often popped up in children's literature, such as in Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, and is the name of one of Shrek and Fiona's triplets. On a loftier level, there is the Yeats poem, Who Goes With Fergus? and Fergus MacIvor is a central character in Walter Scott's novel Waverley.

With the nickname Fergie having been appropriated by two high-profile females, Gus might make a more approachable option these days.

Fergus Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 456 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Fergus

• 456 Nameberry 2025
• 538 England 2023
• 109 Scotland 2024

20 Names Similar to Fergus

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Fergus.

• Hamish
• Irving
• Angus
• Abner
• Boaz
• Clive
• Oswald
• Darcy
• Lionel
• Fritz
• Hiram
• Fitzwilliam
• Enoch
• Seymour
• Solomon
• Gulliver
• Barnaby
• Humphrey
• Laurie
• Archibald

Famous People Named Fergus

• Saint Fergus missionary to Scotland
• Fergus the Great King of Ergyng, Wales
• Fergus mac Echdach Scottish king of Dál Riata
• Fergus Lord of Galloway
• Fergus Earl of Buchan
• Fergus Michael Claude Bowes Lyon, 17th and 4th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, cousin of Queen Elizabeth II
• Fergus Bowes Lyon; British soldier; brother of the Queen Mother
• Fergus Morton Baron Morton of Henryton, British judge
• Fergusson Wright "Fergus" Hume English novelist
• (Frederick) Fergus Graham 5th Baronet, British MP
• Fergus Stewart Ewing Scottish politician
• Fergus O'Dowd Irish TD
• Fergus James Riordan Scottish actor
• (William) Fergus Montgomery British MP

The name Fergus in Pop Culture

• Fergus I legendary first king of Scotland
• Fergus mac Róich legendary King of Ulster
• Fergus mac Léti legendary king of Ulster
• Fergus Dubdétach legendary High King of Ireland
• Fergus Fortamail legendary High King of Ireland
• Fergus Mór legendary king of Dál Riata
• Fergus Lethderg ("red side" or "half,red"), son of Nemed who leads his people against the Fomorians in Irish mythology
• Fergus son of Eochaid Mugmedon, half,brother of Niall of the Nine Hostages
• Sir Fergus one of King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table
• Fergus Merida's father in Pixar's "Brave"
• Fergus McDuck Disney character
• Fergus the Railway Traction Engine character in Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends
• Fergus Cramer character from the Nero Wolfe series
• Fergus Shannon dog in children's books by David Shannon
• Fergus the Hostler character in 1956 film "The Court Jester"
• Fergus Dargle advertising mascot for Bennigan's
• King Fergus the leader of the foxes in German film "Der Sturmer"
• Fergus character in "Siggy and Amber"
• Claudel "Fergus" Fraser character in the Outlander series
• Fergus triplet of Shrek and Fiona in the Shrek series
• Fergus McCann main character in the novel 'Bog Child' by Siobhan Dowd
• Fergus Drummond main character in G. A. Henty's, With Frederick the Great
• Fergus Roderick MacLeod aka Crowley character on The CW's "Supernatural"
• Fergus Fuzz Furchester leader on British TV series The Furchester Hotel
• Fergus Kearney character in New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street
• "Fergus McPhail " Australian TV show and its main character
• "Fergus the Fish " British children's series
• Fergus a faerie in Cassandra Clare's trilogy "The Dark Artifices"