Fargas History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

On the Scottish west coast, the Fargas family was born among the ancient Dalriadan clans. Their name comes from the Scottish surname MacFergus, which means "son of Fergus".

Early Origins of the Fargas family

The surname Fargas was first found in Galloway (Gaelic: Gall-ghaidhealaibh), an area of southwestern Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Dumfries and Galloway, that formerly consisted of the counties of Wigtown (West Galloway) and Kirkcudbright (East Galloway), where they were descended from the Prince of Galloway who married the daughter of Henry I of England. These ancient Lords of Galloway were independent rulers until they were annexed by Scotland in 1234. Alan, Prince of Galloway, was the last of the line. The Craigdarroch branch was the oldest but they also had branches at Cowal, Kintyre, Kilkerran, Atholl, Kinmundy, Pitfour.

The Ayrshire Fergusons, who descended from Fergus, the independent 12th century Lord of Galloway, were established in the Southwest of Scotland even before they received their charter from Bruce, the King of Scotland, in the 13th century. Furthermore, numerous families of the name Ferguson were established throughout Scotland at an early date. In Argyll, where the Ferguson Clan is particularly numerous, the Fergusons held lands in Strachur until the beginning of the 19th century. The Fergussons of Perthshire were recognized as the principal Highland branch of the Clan and the chieftainship belonged to the Dunfallandy family, the head of which was designated "MacFhearghuis."

Early History of the Fargas family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fargas research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1621, 1637, 1667, 1672, 1699, 1705, 1714, 1715, 1723, 1734, 1745, 1816 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Fargas History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fargas Spelling Variations

In the Middle Ages, the translation between Gaelic and English was not a highly developed process. Spelling was not yet standardized, and so, an enormous number of spelling variations appear in records of early Scottish names. Fargas has appeared as Ferguson, Fergusson, Farguson, Fargerson, Fargusson and many more.

Early Notables of the Fargas family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was James Ferguson (1621-1667), a Scottish minister; William Ferguson (d. 1699) of Badifurrow, Aberdeenshire, Scotland; and his son, James Ferguson (died 1705), of Balmakelly and Kirtonhill, Kincardineshire, a Scottish major-general, colonel of the...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fargas Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fargas family to Ireland

Some of the Fargas family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fargas family

These settlers arrived in North America at a time when the east was burgeoning with prosperous colonies and the expanses of the west were just being opened up. The American War of Independence was also imminent. Some Scots stayed to fight for a new country, while others who remained loyal went north as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of them went on to rediscover their heritage in the 20th century through highland games and other patriotic Scottish events. The Fargas were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Daniel Ferguson who settled in New England in 1651; Duncan Ferguson settled in Virginia in 1716; Robert Ferguson settled in Virginia in 1716; Thomas Fergusson settled in Barbados in 1678..

Contemporary Notables of the name Fargas (post 1700) +

Justin Alejandro Fargas (b. 1980), former American football running back for the Oakland Raiders (2003-2009) and the Denver Broncos (2010)
Antonio Juan Fargas (b. 1946), American actor, perhaps best known for his role as Huggy Bear in the 1970s TV series Starsky & Hutch
Yolanda Nicole Fargas (b. 1972), née Caldwell, an American women's basketball coach and executive, President of the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA
Lorenzo Fargas (b. 1957), Spanish former professional tennis player
Johneshwy Ali Fargas (b. 1994), Puerto Rican professional baseball outfielder for the New York Mets (2021-)

The Fargas Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Dulcius ex asperis
Motto Translation: Sweeter after difficulties