Show ContentsFerrar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Strathclyde-Briton people of ancient Scotland were the first to use the name Ferrar. It is a name for someone who works as a person who equipped horses. The ferrier was involved in the equipping of horses, from harness to shoes. This occupation was similar to that of the English blacksmith, however, the ferrier also fashioned the leather pieces of the harness. This occupation was extremely important in the Middle Ages, as horses were the primary mode of transportation. Ferrar is therefore, an occupational surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Occupational surnames were derived from the primary activity of the bearer. In the Middle Ages, people did not generally live off of the fruits of their labor in a particular job. Rather, they performed a specialized task, as well as farming, for subsistence. Other occupational names were derived from an object associated with a particular activity.

Early Origins of the Ferrar family

The surname Ferrar was first found in Forfarshire part of the Tayside region of North Eastern Scotland, and present day Council Area of Angus, where they held a family seat from early times.

Early History of the Ferrar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ferrar research. Another 151 words (11 lines of text) covering the year 1301 is included under the topic Early Ferrar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ferrar Spelling Variations

Before the printing press standardized spelling in the last few hundred years, no general rules existed in the English language. Spelling variations in Scottish names from the Middle Ages are common even within a single document. Ferrar has been spelled Ferrier, Ferriers, Ferrair, Ferryar, Feriar, Ferier and many more.

Early Notables of the Ferrar family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • Sir William Ferrarious


United States Ferrar migration to the United States +

For Scottish immigrants, the great expense of travel to North America did not seem such a problem in those unstable times. Acres of land awaited them and many got the chance to fight for their freedom in the American War of Independence. These Scots and their ancestors went on to play important roles in the forging of the great nations of the United States and Canada. Among them:

Ferrar Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Ferrar, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 [1]
  • Margaret Ferrar, who landed in Maryland in 1659 [1]
Ferrar Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Andres Ferrar, aged 33, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1855 [1]

New Zealand Ferrar migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Ferrar Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John Ferrar a labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Romulus" in 1862

Contemporary Notables of the name Ferrar (post 1700) +

  • Nicholas Ferrar (1592-1637), English theologian


The Ferrar 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: Diligentia ditat
Motto Translation: Industry renders rich.


  1. 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)


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