Favre History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Italy

From the ancient and picturesque Italian region of Venice emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Favre. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they are characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. Although the most traditional type of family name found in the region of Venice is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, local surnames are also found. Local names, which are the least frequent of the major types of surnames found in Italy, are derived from a place-name where the original bearer once resided or held land. Often Italian local surnames bore the prefix "di," which signifies emigration from one place to another, but does not necessarily denote nobility.

Early Origins of the Favre family

The surname Favre was first found in the city of Treviso, where the Favero family lived as early as 1308.

Early History of the Favre family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Favre research. The years 1509, 1604, 1669 and 1744 are included under the topic Early Favre History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Favre Spelling Variations

Italian surnames come in far more variations than the names of most other nationalities. Regional traditions and dialects are a decisive factor in this characteristic. For example, northern names tend to end in "o", while southern in "i". Also important, but not unique to Italy, was the fact that before dictionaries and the printing press most scribes simply spelled words according to their sounds. The predictable result was an enormous number of spelling variations. The recorded spellings of Favre include Fava, Favre, Favi, Favella, Favelli, Favetta, Favetti, Favino, Favini, Favuzza, Favazzi, Favale, Favali, Favalini, Favalli, Favano, Favara, Favari, Favar, Favareto, Favata, Favati, Faveto and many more.

Early Notables of the Favre family

Prominent among members of the family was

Guglielmo Favre was a famous lawyer in Aosta during the 14th century

Favre Ranking

In France, the name Favre is the 332^nd most popular surname with an estimated 12,079 people with that name. 1

Favre migration to the United States +

Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Favre or a variant listed above:

Favre Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Francois Favre, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1764 2
Jean Favre, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1764 2
Simon Favre, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1764 2
William Favre, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1764 2
G J Favre, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1798 2

Favre Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jose Favre, aged 23, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1825 2
Louis Favre, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1849 2
Lewis Favre, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1859 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Favre (post 1700) +

Deanna Tynes Favre (b. 1968), American breast cancer activist and the wife of NFL quarterback Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre (b. 1969), nicknamed "The Gunslinger," American NFL football quarterback, probably best known for his time with the Green Bay Packers (1992-2007), Super Bowl Champion (XXXI)
William R. Favre Jr., American politician, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, 1981 3
Peter C. Favre, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Wisconsin State Assembly from Monroe County, 1938 3
Corinne Favre (b. 1970), French professional ski instructor, competitive ski mountaineer and champion mountain runner, two-time gold medalist, three-time silver medalist and five-time bronze medalist
Philippe Favre (1961-2013), Swiss racing driver
Lucien Favre (b. 1957), Swiss former footballer, current head coach of Bundesliga team Borussia Mönchengladbach
Louis Favre (1826-1879), Swiss civil engineer builder of the Gotthard Rail Tunnel
Gilbert Favre (1936-1998), Bolivian flautist
Jules Claude Gabriel Favre (1809-1880), French lawyer and politician

Citations +

http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, March 18) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html