Meanings
proper nounFergus (plural Ferguses)
plural Ferguses · alternative Vargus
- A male given name from Scottish Gaelic.
- A surname originating as a patronymic.
- An unincorporated community in the township of Centre Wellington, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*weyh₁-?
- Proto-Indo-European*wiHrós
- Proto-Celtic*wiros
- Proto-Indo-European*ǵews-
- Proto-Indo-European*ǵéwstus
- Proto-Celtic*gustus
- Proto-Celtic*Wirogustus
- Old IrishFergus
- IrishFearghas
- Old IrishFergus
- Scottish GaelicFearghas
- EnglishFergus
From Irish or Scottish Gaelic Fearghas. The first element may be related to modern fìor (“true”) or fear (“man”) (cf. Fearchar). The second element has been understood to mean 'choice' (cf. Angus). Thus the name means either "most chosen one" or "chosen man".
More words from Scottish Gaelic
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with Fergus
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
Fergus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Fergus
MLA
“Fergus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Fergus. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Fergus,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Fergus.
Source: Fergus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.