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Farnsworth History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Farnsworth History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Farnsworth name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Farnsworth was originally derived from a family having lived at Farnworth, a parish, in the union of Bolton, hundred of Salford, south division of Lancashire. 1

Early Origins of the Farnsworth family

The surname Farnsworth was first found in Lancashire at Farnworth, a small hamlet within about two miles of Bolton. Now part of Greater Manchester, Farnworth dates back to 1185 when it was first listed as Farnewurd. Literally the place name means "enclosure where ferns grow," from the Old English words "fearn" + "worth." 2

Another reference states: "This place probably derives its name from the AngloSaxon word Fearn; the fern plant formerly overran the land, and still grows abundantly in the neighbourhood. " 1 Other spelling variants for the hamlet in these early years included Farneworth and Farnewrth in 1278; and Ffornword in 1282.

There is another Farnworth in Cheshire in the Borough of Halton, and this latter town was also influential in the family's history as Leising de Farnewurd was listed there in the Pipe Rolls of 1185. 3

Early History of the Farnsworth family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Farnsworth research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1650, 1651, 1652 and 1666 are included under the topic Early Farnsworth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Farnsworth Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Farnsworth include Fanworth, Farnworth, Farnworthy, Farnsworth, Farnesworth and many more.

Early Notables of the Farnsworth family

Distinguished members of the family include Richard Farnworth (died 1666), an English Quaker writer of tracts. He "was born in the north of England, and appears to have been a labouring man. In 1651 he attended the quaker yearly meeting at Balby...
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Farnsworth Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Farnsworth Ranking

In the United States, the name Farnsworth is the 2,502^nd most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 4

Farnsworth migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Farnsworth Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas and Susannah Farnsworth, who settled in New Jersey with their two children and servants in 1677
Thomas Farnsworth, who arrived in New Jersey in 1677 5

Farnsworth Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Farnsworth, who settled in Boston, Massachusetts in 1764
Lydia Farnsworth, who settled in Boston, Massachusetts in 1766
Mary Farnsworth, who settled in Boston, Massachusetts in 1767

Farnsworth Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Farnsworth, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1822 5
James Farnsworth, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1844
C Farnsworth, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 5
W D Farnsworth, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 5
W. O. Farnsworth settled in San Francisco, California in 1853
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Farnsworth Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

D. Farnsworth, aged 81, who arrived in America, in 1903
Lotta P. Farnsworth, who arrived in America, in 1903
Frederick Farnsworth, aged 26, who arrived in America from Liverpool, in 1904
Myron Farnsworth, aged 22, who arrived in America, in 1905
George Farnsworth, aged 35, who arrived in America, in 1906
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Farnsworth migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Farnsworth Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Samuel H Farnsworth, who landed in Canada in 1836

Farnsworth Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Arthur Farnsworth, aged 31, who arrived in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, in 1914

Farnsworth migration to Australia +

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

Farnsworth Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Farnsworth, British Convict who was convicted in Montreal, Quebec, Canada for 14 years, transported aboard the "Candahar" on 26th March 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Farnsworth (post 1700) +

Richard W. Farnsworth (1920-2000), American actor and stuntman
Kyle Lynn Farnsworth (b. 1976), American Major League Baseball relief pitcher
Elon John Farnsworth (1837-1863), Union Army cavalry general in the American Civil War, killed at the Battle of Gettysburg
E. Allan Farnsworth (1928-2005), American renowned legal scholars on contracts
Charles S. Farnsworth (1862-1955), American general in World War I, Chief of Infantry
Philo Taylor Farnsworth (1906-1971), American inventor, best known for as the inventor and patent holder of a working electronic television system which later became the cathode ray tube
Elizabeth Farnsworth, American correspondent with PBS
Robert A. Farnsworth Jr., American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Navy, during World War II, credited with 5 aerial victories
Daniel Duane Tompkins Farnsworth (1819-1892), American Republican politician, President of the West Virginia State Senate, 1869-70; Governor of West Virginia, 1869 7
Clarence G. Farnsworth, American politician, Supervisor of Delta Township, Michigan, 1940-55 7
... (Another 33 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/candahar
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html