Fergus (name)
Encyclopedia
Fergus or Feargus is a popular Irish
, Manx
and Scottish
given name
. It is both the Old Irish spelling and the anglicised form of the modern Fearghus or Fearghas, meaning "man-strength" or "virility". The name Fergus was a royal name amongst the Celts in Ireland and the Picts
in Scotland. Although a relatively rare name, it is still very popular among the Scottish nobility and gentry. No fewer than three current Clan Chiefs are named Fergus.
As a surname
, MacFhearhgais was Anglicised into Ferguson
or Fergusson and this surname spread across Scotland but particularly in Ayrshire
and Perthshire
. The surnames Ferguson and Kerruish (from the genitive MacFhearghais) derive from it. In Ireland, the Ferris family of County Kerry
derives its surname from the patronymic Ó Fearghusa.
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
, Manx
Manx language
Manx , also known as Manx Gaelic, and as the Manks language, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, historically spoken by the Manx people. Only a small minority of the Island's population is fluent in the language, but a larger minority has some knowledge of it...
and Scottish
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
given name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
. It is both the Old Irish spelling and the anglicised form of the modern Fearghus or Fearghas, meaning "man-strength" or "virility". The name Fergus was a royal name amongst the Celts in Ireland and the Picts
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
in Scotland. Although a relatively rare name, it is still very popular among the Scottish nobility and gentry. No fewer than three current Clan Chiefs are named Fergus.
As a surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
, MacFhearhgais was Anglicised into Ferguson
Ferguson (name)
Ferguson is a surname and given name. The surname is a patronymic form of the personal name Fergus. The name Fergus is derived from the Gaelic elements fear and gus .-Australia:...
or Fergusson and this surname spread across Scotland but particularly in Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
and Perthshire
Perthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
. The surnames Ferguson and Kerruish (from the genitive MacFhearghais) derive from it. In Ireland, the Ferris family of County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
derives its surname from the patronymic Ó Fearghusa.
Sir Fergus
- Sir Fergus Cumyn
- Sir Fergus de Forbes, Chief of Clan Forbes
- Sir Fergus Frederick Graham, 5th Bt.
- Sir Fergus MacDowall of Garochloyne
- Sir Fergus Macdougall of Makerston
- Major Sir Fergus Matheson, 6th Bt., Chief of Clan Matheson
- Sir Fergus Matheson, 7th Bt., Chief of Clan Matheson
- Sir Fergus McMaster
- Sir Fergus Montgomery
- Sir Fergus Moss
- Sir Fergus of Strathearn
- Sir Fergus is also mentioned as one of King Arthur'sKing ArthurKing Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
Knights of the Round Table in Le Morte d'ArthurLe Morte d'ArthurLe Morte d'Arthur is a compilation by Sir Thomas Malory of Romance tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, and the Knights of the Round Table...
.
Peers
- Fergus, Lord of Galloway, followers fought at the Battle of the Standard (1138); his descendants became the earls of Carrick.
- Fergus, 17th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorn, Chief of Clan Lyon, cousin of the Queen MotherQueen motherQueen Mother is a title or position reserved for a widowed queen consort whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since at least 1577...
- Fergus Mackay, Viscount Glenapp (future Earl of InchcapeEarl of InchcapeEarl of Inchcape is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1929 for the Scottish shipping magnate and public servant James Mackay, 1st Viscount Inchcape. He was Chairman of the P and O Steam Navigation Company...
) - Fergus Morton, Baron Morton of HenrytonFergus Morton, Baron Morton of HenrytonFergus Dunlop Morton, Baron Morton of Henryton PC, MC was a British judge and law lord.-Background and education:...
, judge
Other people with this given name
- Fergus, son of Eochaid MugmedonEochaid Mugmedon-Biography:According to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, Eochaid was a High King of Ireland, best known as the father of Niall of the Nine Hostages and ancestor of the Uí Néill and Connachta dynasties...
, half-brother of Niall of the Nine HostagesNiall of the Nine HostagesNiall Noígíallach , or in English, Niall of the Nine Hostages, son of Eochaid Mugmedón, was an Irish king, the eponymous ancestor of the Uí Néill kindred who dominated Ireland from the 6th century to the 10th century...
(5th century) - Fergus the GreatGwrgan FawrGwrgan Fawr was a king of Ergyng, a south-east Welsh kingdom of the early medieval period....
, also known as Gwrgan Fawr or Gurgantius, a king of Ergyng, a Welsh kingdom of the early medieval period - The Hon. Captain Fergus Bowes-LyonFergus Bowes-LyonCaptain Fergus Bowes-Lyon was an older brother of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.He was born at Glamis Castle in Angus and educated at Eton College, Berkshire. Just a fortnight after the start of World War I, he married Lady Christian Norah Dawson-Damer , daughter of the 5th Earl of...
, brother of the Queen MotherQueen motherQueen Mother is a title or position reserved for a widowed queen consort whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since at least 1577... - Fergus Boyd, Old Etonian and friend of Prince William
- Fergus Brit (605-623), the second Abbot of Iona
- Fergus DubdétachFergus DubdétachFergus Dubdétach was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a king of the Ulaid who was briefly High King of Ireland. He took the High Kingship after his predecessor, Lugaid mac Con, was expelled from Tara by Cormac mac Airt and killed in Munster by Cormac's poet Ferches mac...
, legendary High King of Ireland of the 3rd century AD - Fergus EwingFergus EwingFergus Ewing is the Scottish Government's Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism and the Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Inverness and Nairn.- Background :...
, Scottish politician - Fergus Molloy, the Irishman
- Fergus FortamailFergus FortamailFergus Fortamail , son of Bresal Brecc, son of Óengus Gailian, son of Ailill Bracan, son of Labraid Loingsech, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland...
, legendary High King of Ireland of the 4th century BC - Fergus Gillespie, Chief Herald of Ireland
- Fergus HumeFergus HumeFergusson Wright Hume, known as Fergus Hume was an English novelist.-Early life:Hume was born in England, the second son of Dr. James Hume. At the age of three years his father emigrated with his family to Dunedin, New Zealand. He attended Otago Boys' High School and studied law at the University...
, novelist - Fergus Lethderg ("red-side" or "half-red"), a son of NemedNemedNemed , meaning "holy" or "privileged" is a figure of Irish mythology who features in The Book of Invasions...
who leads his people against the FomoriansFomoriansIn Irish mythology, the Fomoire are a semi-divine race said to have inhabited Ireland in ancient times. They may have once been believed to be the beings who preceded the gods, similar to the Greek Titans. It has been suggested that they represent the gods of chaos and wild nature, as opposed to...
in the Irish Mythological CycleMythological CycleThe Mythological Cycle is one of the four major cycles of Irish mythology, and is so called because it represents the remains of the pagan mythology of pre-Christian Ireland, although the gods and supernatural beings have been euhemerised into historical kings and heroes.The cycle consists of... - Fergus mac EchdachFergus mac EchdachFergus mac Echdach was king of Dál Riata from about 778 until 781.He succeeded Áed Find. He is stated to have been a son of Eochaid mac Echdach, and thus a brother of Áed. Some much later sources make him a son of Áed, but this is not credited by modern studies...
, a Scottish king of the 8th century - Fergus mac LétiFergus mac LétiFergus mac Léti was, according to Irish legend and traditional history, a king of Ulster...
, legendary king of Ulster - Fergus mac RóichFergus mac RóichFergus mac Róich is a character of the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology...
, a character from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology - Fergus MórFergus MórFergus Mór mac Eirc was a legendary king of Dál Riata. He was the son of Erc.While his historicity may be debatable, his posthumous importance as the founder of Scotland in the national myth of Medieval and Renaissance Scotland is not in doubt...
, a Scottish king of the 6th century, reputed to have led the Scots from northern Ireland to the west coast of Scotland to establish the kingdom of Dalriada. - Fergus O'BrienFergus O'BrienFergus O'Brien is a former Irish Fine Gael politician, and a former Teachta Dála .Fergus O'Brien was born in Dublin in 1930. He was educated at the College of Technology at Bolton Street before becoming involved in politics. O'Brien was elected to Dáil Éireann on his second attempt at the 1973...
, Irish politician - Fergus O'DowdFergus O'DowdFergus O'Dowd is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He is currently a Teachta Dála for the Louth constituency, and the Minister of State for the NewEra Project....
, Irish politician - James Fergus (Fergy) BrownFergy BrownJames Fergus Brown is a retired politician in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He served as Mayor of York from 1988 to 1994, and was listed as eighty years old in a 2003 newspaper report....
- Fergus McAteerFergus McAteerFergus McAteer is an accountant and former politician in Northern Ireland.The son of Nationalist Party leader Eddie McAteer, Fergus was active in the civil rights movement of the late 1960s. He was arrested during the events of Bloody Sunday and charged with throwing stones, but the charges were...
, Irish politician - Fergus Murphy a.k.a Hedge Jumping Olympian
- Feargus UrquhartFeargus UrquhartFeargus Urquhart is a Scottish computer game developer and CEO of Obsidian Entertainment.-Career:Urquhart is best known for his work at Interplay Entertainment, particularly as leader of Black Isle Studios...
, a game developer
Fictional characters
- Fergus I, fictional king
- Fergus McDuck, Disney character
- Fergus the Railway Traction Engine, character in Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends
- Fergus the Fish, British preschoolers' cartoon series in the 1960s
- Fergus Cramer from the Nero WolfeNero WolfeNero Wolfe is a fictional detective, created in 1934 by the American mystery writer Rex Stout. Wolfe's confidential assistant Archie Goodwin narrates the cases of the detective genius. Stout wrote 33 novels and 39 short stories from 1934 to 1974, with most of them set in New York City. Wolfe's...
series - Fergus Malone, Rita's younger brother in Flushed AwayFlushed AwayFlushed Away is a 2006 computer animated British film directed by David Bowers and Sam Fell. It is a partnership between Aardman Animations of Wallace and Gromit fame, and DreamWorks Animation, and is Aardman's first completely computer-animated feature as opposed to the usual stop-motion.The film...
- Fergus the Horse, internet cartoon character
- Fergus the Farmyard Dog, dog appearing in children's books by Tony MaddoxTony MaddoxTony Maddox is an artist and a writer of children's books.He was born in Birmingham, and worked there as a commercial artist in an advertising agency. His first book, Spike, the Sparrow who Couldn't Sing, was published in 1987...
- Fergus Shannon, dog appearing in children's books by David ShannonDavid ShannonDavid Shannon is an American author and illustrator. He was born in Washington, D.C but grew up in Spokane, Washington. He graduated from the Art Center College of Design and now lives in Los Angeles. Arguably his greatest achievement in life is the 1998 winning of the Caldecott Honor for his No,...
- Fergus the Hostler, a secondary character in the 1956 Robin Hood parody The Court JesterThe Court JesterThe Court Jester is a 1956 musical-comedy film starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, and Angela Lansbury. The movie was co-written, co-directed, and co-produced by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama...
- Fergus Dargle, a character created by Bennigan'sBennigan'sBennigan's is an Irish pub-themed casual dining restaurant chain with locations throughout the United States, and in 14 countries and 15 territories outside the continental U.S...
- Fergus the tractor
- King Fergus, the leader of the foxes in the German film Der SturmerDer StürmerDer Stürmer was a weekly tabloid-format Nazi newspaper published by Julius Streicher from 1923 to the end of World War II in 1945, with brief suspensions in publication due to legal difficulties. It was a significant part of the Nazi propaganda machinery and was vehemently anti-Semitic...
- Fergus, the dog in the Citizen Dog comic strip
- Fergus "Game" McGame, a Sydney gangsterGangsterA gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Some gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from mob and the suffix -ster....
from the third season of Australian TV series UnderbellyUnderbelly (TV series)Underbelly is a 13-part Australian television mini-series that retells the real events of the 1995–2004 gangland war in Melbourne, and is the first series in the larger Underbelly Franchise. It depicts the key players in Melbourne's criminal underworld, including the Carlton Crew and their rival,...
. - Fergus, one of Shrek and Fiona's ogre triplets in ShrekShrekShrek is a 2001 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. Loosely based on William Steig's 1990 fairy tale picture book Shrek!...
- Fergus, a NPCNon-player characterA non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
from the game Mabinogi (video game) his occupation is a blacksmith.
Surname
- Dylan FergusDylan FergusDylan John Fergus , is an American actor, producer and director. Dylan is currently a producer at On the River Entertainment. He is best known for his role as Noah Bennett on the daytime soap opera Passions.-Biography:Prior to Passions, he briefly portrayed the role of Tim Dillon on All My Children...
(b. 1980), American actor - Keith FergusKeith FergusKeith Carlton Fergus is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour, the Nationwide Tour and the Champions Tour....
(b. 1954), American professional golfer - Thomas FergusThomas FergusThomas Fergus was a 19th century New Zealand politician.-Early life:Thomas Fergus was born in Ayr Scotland on 6 April 1850. There is some question as to the Hon Thomas Fergus' date of birth as the NZ Government records are two years different from this birth record, and his newspaper obituary...
(1815–1914), New Zealand politician - Tom FergusTom FergusThomas Joseph Fergus is a retired professional ice hockey center who played 726 regular season games in the NHL for 12 seasons between 1981 and 1993.-Playing career:...
(b. 1962), Canadian-raised American retired professional ice hockey