Ferncome History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Ferncome is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having 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 Ferncome family

The surname Ferncome 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 Ferncome family

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

Ferncome Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Ferncome family name include Farncombe, Farncomb, Farncorn, Vearncombe and others.

Early Notables of the Ferncome family

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

Migration of the Ferncome family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Ferncome surname or a spelling variation of the name include: 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)