Fearncombe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Fearncombe

What does the name Fearncombe mean?

The origins of the Fearncombe name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Fearncombe was originally derived from a family 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 Fearncombe family

The surname Fearncombe 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 Fearncombe family

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

Fearncombe 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 Fearncombe include Farncombe, Farncomb, Farncorn, Vearncombe and others.

Early Notables of the Fearncombe family

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

Fearncombe migration to Australia +

Fearncombe Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Edwin Fearncombe, (b. 1828), aged 16, English convict, English shoe makerBath, Somerset, England for 10 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 9th May 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1845 4

Sources +

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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa