Show ContentsFarriss History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Farriss family name, derives one of several place names in Normandy, such as Ferriers, in Gastonois, Normandy. The place name in turn, comes from "ferrière," which refers to an "iron works." They were originally a baronial family from Ferrieres, St. Hilary, near Bernai, Normandy. 1 And early records of 1096, show William de Ferres was a chief leader in the Crusade.

Early Origins of the Farriss family

The surname Farriss was first found in Staffordshire, where Henry de Fereres of Ferriers-St. Hilaire, Lord of Longueville, Normandy was on record in the Domesday Book of 1086; his castle was at Tutbury, Staffordshire and he had large holdings in Derbyshire, as well as lands in 14 other counties. He was "Domesday commissioner, and the son of Walkelin, Lord of Ferrières St.-Hilaire in Normandy, who was slain during the minority of William the Conqueror. Wace makes him, as 'Henri le Sire de Ferriers,' present at the battle of Hastings." 2

Robert de Ferrers (d. 1139), was a warrior, "the son and heir of Henry de Ferrers [q. v.], the founder of the family. He succeeded his father under Henry I, and is first mentioned in the record of a suit between the abbot of Burton and himself." 2

Other early records include a Henry le Ferrur on record in 1196 in the Curia Regis Rolls for that same county. Said to be descendents of Henry de Fereres, the Norman Ferrers family held the earldom of Derby from 1138 to 1266. 3

Further to the south in the parish of St. Cleather, Cornwall another early branch of the family was found. "Reginald de Ferrar held in East Fenton and West Fenton, several knights' fees of land of the honour of Trematon, which are now East and West hundreds." 4

Early History of the Farriss family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Farriss research. Another 247 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1062, 1138, 1139, 1190, 1239, 1271, 1279, 1299, 1300, 1325, 1373, 1423, 1445, 1500, 1526, 1548, 1549, 1555, 1564, 1572, 1579, 1580, 1590, 1592, 1606, 1633, 1637, 1729, 1890 and 1899 are included under the topic Early Farriss History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Farriss Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Ferris, Ferres, Ferries, Ferras, Farris, Farriss, Faries, de Ferrers, Ferriers, Ferrer and many more.

Early Notables of the Farriss family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Nicholas Ferrar (1592-1637), English theologian, the third son of Nicholas Ferrar, a London merchant, by his wife Mary, daughter of Laurence Wodenoth of Savington Hall, Cheshire. His father ranked high among the merchants of London, and was interested in the adventures of Hawkins, Drake...
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Farriss Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Farriss family to Ireland

Some of the Farriss family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 129 words (9 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 Farriss family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Farriss name or one of its variants: Thomas Ferris, who was on record in Virginia in 1622; Jeffrey Ferris, who came to Boston in 1635; Richard Ferris, who purchased land in 1636 in Virginia.



  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print


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