Fernan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Portugal
Spain

The Fernan surname is a patronymic form, created from the personal name Fernando. 1 This is one of the most common surnames in Portugal. Fernandes is the 243rd most common surname in the world.

The name Fernan demonstrates the influence that Spanish often had on the Portuguese culture and surnames as it is composed of the Spanish words "faro" (journey, expedition) and "nano" (daring and brave). Combined, these two words may have been used a nickname surname; that is, as a surname that somehow describe a characteristic of its original bearer. Some think that this name may have been historically used by those engaged against the Moors.

Early Origins of the Fernan family

The surname Fernan was first found in Iberian peninsula. The name Fernan and its many variants were one of the most popular surnames in Medieval Portugal and Spain, and remains among the most common on the Iberian Peninsula today. The earliest known Portuguese record of the name notes that Diogo Fernandes Correia held the office of Administrator of Flanders for King John II.

Early History of the Fernan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fernan research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1394, 1445, 1446, 1453, 1455, 1456, 1460, 1475, 1488, 1495, 1498, 1501, 1511, 1542, 1563, 1569, 1576, 1580, 1595, 1596, 1605, 1606, 1614, 1636, 1642, 1654 and 1667 are included under the topic Early Fernan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fernan Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Fernant, Farrant, Hernando, Hernan, Hernanz, Fernando, Fernan, Fernao, Ferrao, Hernandez, Hernaez, Hernaiz, Fernandez, Ferrandez, Ferrandiz, Fernandes and many more.

Early Notables of the Fernan family

Prominent members of the family include

António Fernandes, a Portuguese explorers of the early 15th century. He was raised in the household of Prince Henry "the Navigator" of Portugal (1394-1460), and lead expeditions to Africa. João Fernan...
João Fernandes Lavrador (1453-c.1501), a Portuguese explorer of the late 15th century

Fernan migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Fernan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Fernan, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1861 2

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
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)