Farn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
England

The Pictish clans of ancient Scotland were the ancestors of the first people to use the name Farn. It comes from on the land of Fearn in Ross where "the Gaelic name of this parish, Fearnn, signifies 'the alder-tree,' and was applied in consequence of the great number of alders growing at Mid-Fearn, in the parish of Edderton, in the neighbourhood. An abbey was founded there in the reign of Alexander II., by Farquhar, first Earl of Ross." 1

Early Origins of the Farn family

The surname Farn was first found in Ross-shire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Rois) a former county, now part of the Council Areas of Highland and Western Isles in Northern Scotland, which emerged from the Gaelic lordship of the Earl of Ross.

"Sir Andrew Ferae was one of the chaplains of the cathedral church of Dornoch in 1512, Sir Robert Fern or Ferne was curate of Golspie in 1546, and curate of Kylmalie in the same year." 2

Saint Bartholomew of Farne (d. 1193) was a Benedictine hermit, born Tostig, to parents of Scandinavian origin, in Whitby, Northumbria, England. He received a vision of St Cuthbert, and then decided to inhabit Cuthbert's old cell on the island of Farne. There he remained for the remaining 42 years of his life.

Early History of the Farn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Farn research. Another 247 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1267, 1432, 1436, 1458, 1488, 1500, 1517, 1543, 1546, 1560, 1567, 1578, 1602, 1604, 1609, 1610, 1662 and 1685 are included under the topic Early Farn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Farn Spelling Variations

Translation has done much to alter the appearance of many Scottish names. It was a haphazard process that lacked a basic system of rules. Spelling variations were a common result of this process. Farn has appeared Ferns, Fearn, Fearns, Fearne, Fern, Ferne and others.

Early Notables of the Farn family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Sir John Ferne (ca. 1560-1609), an English writer on heraldry and an eminent lawyer and politician, Member of Parliament for Boroughbridge from 1604 to 1609. He was "the son of William Ferne of Temple Belwood in the isle of Axholme, Lincolnshire, who came originally from Doncaster, Yorkshire." 3Henry Ferne (1602-1662), was an English bishop, Chaplain Extraordinary to Charles I...
Another 67 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Farn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Farn migration to the United States +

Many Scots left their country to travel to the North American colonies in search of the freedom they could not find at home. Of those who survived the difficult voyage, many found the freedom they so desired. There they could choose their own beliefs and allegiances. Some became United Empire Loyalists and others fought in the American War of Independence. The Clan societies and highland games that have sprung up in the last century have allowed many of these disparate Scots to recover their collective national identity. A search of immigration and passenger ship lists revealed many early settlers bearing the Farn name:

Farn Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Abraham Farn, German who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1727 aboard the ship "William and Sarah" 4

Farn migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Farn Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Catherine Farn, aged 20, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Bartley" in 1833
James Farn, aged 30, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Leslie Gault" in 1833

Farn migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Farn Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Farn, English convict who was convicted in Warwickshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 27th August 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Egle, William Henry. Names of foreigners who took the oath of allegiance to the province and state of Pennsylvania... Edwin K. Meyers state printer, 1892
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa