Fearncume History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Fearncume is an old Anglo-Saxon name. It comes from when a family lived in Farncombe, in Surrey. The place-name Farncombe was listed in the Domesday Book as Fernecome was held by the Bishop of Bayeux. This name is derived from the Old English elements fearn, which was the word for fern, and combe, a word for a valley. 1

Early Origins of the Fearncume family

The surname Fearncume was first found in Surrey at Farncombe, a village that is today part of the Borough of Waverley. The village dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was listed as Ferncome and literally meant "valley where ferns grow" from the Old English words "fern" + "cumb" 1

At that time, it was part of the Godalming hundred, lands held by the Bishop of Bayeux, had land enough for two ploughs and had 15 acres of meadows. There was also a manor there at the time. 2

One of the first records of the family was Robert de Ferncumb who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296. 3

Early History of the Fearncume family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fearncume research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fearncume History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fearncume Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Fearncume were recorded, including Farncombe, Farncomb, Farncorn, Vearncombe and others.

Early Notables of the Fearncume family

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

Migration of the Fearncume family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Fearncume family emigrate to North America: Andrew Farncorn arrived in Pennsylvania in 1773.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)