Show ContentsMcFerrin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Irish surname McFerrin is an Anglicization of a few different Gaelic names, such as "Ó Faracháin," "Ó Fearáin," and "Ó Forannáin."

Early Origins of the McFerrin family

The surname McFerrin was first found in County Donegal (Irish: Dún na nGall), northwest Ireland in the province of Ulster, sometimes referred to as County Tyrconnel.

Early History of the McFerrin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McFerrin research. Another 131 words (9 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McFerrin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McFerrin Spelling Variations

People who were accounted for by scribes and church officials often had their name recorded many different ways because pronunciation was the only guide those scribes and church officials had to go by. This resulted in the problem of one person's name being recorded under several different variations, creating the illusion of more than one person. Among the many spelling variations of the surname McFerrin that are preserved in archival documents are Fearon, Feron, Feran, Farren and others.

Early Notables of the McFerrin family

More information is included under the topic Early McFerrin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States McFerrin migration to the United States +

Ireland became inhospitable for many native Irish families in the 19th centuries. Poverty, lack of opportunities, high rents, and discrimination forced thousands to leave the island for North America. The largest exodus of Irish settlers occurred with the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. For these immigrants the journey to British North America and the United States was long and dangerous and many did not live to see the shores of those new lands. Those who did make it were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest and most powerful nations of the world. These Irish immigrants were not only important for peopling the new settlements and cities, they also provided the manpower needed for the many industrial and agricultural projects so essential to these growing nations. Immigration and passenger lists have documented the arrival of various people bearing the name McFerrin to North America:

McFerrin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Jno. P. McFerrin, aged 49, who arrived in New York in 1896 aboard the ship "Germanic" from Liverpool & Queenstown [1]
  • Mary McFerrin, aged 21, who arrived in New York in 1896 aboard the ship "Germanic" from Liverpool & Queenstown [1]
McFerrin Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Patrick McFerrin, aged 23, originally from Antrim, who arrived in New York in 1902 aboard the ship "Anchoria" from Londonderry, Ireland [1]

Contemporary Notables of the name McFerrin (post 1700) +

  • Taylor McFerrin, American DJ, music producer, keyboardist and beatboxer, son of Bobby McFerrin
  • Robert McFerrin (1921-2006), American opera singer, the first African-American man to sing at the Metropolitan Opera (the Met), father of Bobby McFerrin
  • Melissa McFerrin, American head basketball coach of the Memphis Tigers women's basketball team
  • John Berry McFerrin (1807-1887), Methodist preacher and chaplain of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War
  • Robert Keith "Bobby" McFerrin (b. 1950), American ten-time Grammy Award winning jazz and pop singer
  • William McFerrin Stowe (1913-1988), American bishop of the Methodist and United Methodist Churches


  1. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result


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