Farney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestry of the name Farney dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in a forest glade carpeted with ferns. The name Farney is derived from two Old English elements: fearn, the old English word for ferns, and leah, a word for a clearing in a forest.

Early Origins of the Farney family

The surname Farney was first found in Farnley, a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire. This place name dates back to c. 1030 and was originally spelt Fernleage eluding to its Saxon heritage. There were three listings of separate villages in the Domesday Book of 1086: Fernelai; Fernelei; and Fereleia. 1 All were in the same area of Yorkshire. There are two Farnley Halls each with different origins but neither were held by the Farney family. Alternatively, the name could have originated in Derbyshire at Fernilee, a township, in the parish of Hope, union of Chapel-en-le-Frith, hundred of High-Peak that was originally spelt Ferneley in the 12th century. Both place names literally mean "woodland clearing where ferns grow," from the Old English words "fearn" + "leah." 2 Some of the first records of the name include: Hugh de Fernlee who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Worcestershire in 1206; and Hugh de Fernelay who was listed in Yorkshire in 1316. 3 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 had the following entries: Johannes de Farnelay, living at Fernelay; Johannes de Fernelee; Margeria de Fernelee; and Johanna de Ferenlowe. 4

Early History of the Farney family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Farney research. Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Farney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Farney Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Farney have been found, including Fearnley, Fernlie, Fernley and others.

Early Notables of the Farney family

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

Farney Ranking

In the United States, the name Farney is the 15,848^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Farney 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:

Farney Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Arthur Farney, Jr., (b. 1860), aged 8 months, British settler travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd December 1860 6
Mr. Arthur Farney, (b. 1805), aged 55, British farm labourer travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd December 1860 6
Mrs. Margaret Farney, (b. 1807), aged 53, British settler travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd December 1860 6
Mr. Alexander Farney, (b. 1831), aged 29, British farm labourer travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd December 1860 6
Miss Margaret Farney, (b. 1835), aged 25, British settler travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd December 1860 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Farney (post 1700) +

Marsha Farney, American Republican politician, Member of Texas State Board of Education 10th District; Elected 2010; Elected Texas State House of Representatives 20th District 2012 7
Leslie Farney, American politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 38th District, 2002 7

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html