Fairfax History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Fairfax family

The surname Fairfax was first found in Northumberland where the name was derived from the Anglo Saxon words foegr and feax which collectively meant "fair-haired." 1

"The true ancient family of Fairfax is supposed to be of Saxon origin, and to have been seated at Torcester in Northumberland a the period of the Conquest." 2 Shirley continues that the Yorkshire branch is perhaps more compelling, "In 1205, Richard Fairfax, the first of the family proved by evidence, was possessed of the lands of Ascahm, not far from the City of York. His grandson purchased the Manor of Walton in the West Riding, which continued for near six hundred years."

Fuller in his book "Worthies of England" adds, "in his time [c. 1600-1700], twenty generations of Fairfaxes had resided on one spot, at Walton, co. York." So while there is no doubt the family was originally from Lincolnshire, the Yorkshire branch proves to be the strongest. Another early record points to the string Yorkshire heritage. "Gilling Castle, situated in a fine park on the west of the village [of Gilling], was built by Alan, Earl of Richmond, to repel the frequent attacks of the Saxons and Danes for the recovery of their lost estates; it was afterwards the seat of the Mowbrays, and since the time of Henry VII. has belonged to the family of Fairfax. The church is an ancient edifice with a tower, and contains a vault belonging to the Fairfax family. " 3

Early History of the Fairfax family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fairfax research. Another 149 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1205, 1450, 1464, 1475, 1490, 1505, 1520, 1521, 1560, 1575, 1580, 1588, 1592, 1597, 1599, 1601, 1609, 1612, 1617, 1620, 1623, 1626, 1629, 1631, 1634, 1635, 1636, 1637, 1640, 1641, 1644, 1648, 1656, 1657, 1660, 1665, 1671, 1673, 1675, 1687, 1688, 1690, 1691, 1693, 1700, 1702, 1703, 1704, 1707, 1710, 1711, 1716, 1725, 1736, 1741, 1747, 1757, 1759, 1762, 1779, 1781, 1792, 1793, 1798, 1799, 1802 and 1846 are included under the topic Early Fairfax History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fairfax Spelling Variations

During the era when a person's name, tribe and posterity was one of his most important possessions, many different spellings were found in the archives examined. Fairfax occurred in many references, and spelling variations of the name found included Fairfax, Fairfacks, Farefax, Fearfax, Ferfax, Furfax, Furfacks, Farefacks, Fearfacks and many more.

Early Notables of the Fairfax family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

Sir Thomas Fairfax (c.1450-1505) a direct ancestor of both Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and The Duchess of Cambridge; Robert Fayrfax (1464-1521), an English Renaissance composer, his six masses...
Thomas Fairfax, 1st Lord Fairfax of Cameron (1560-1640), was an English soldier, diplomat and politician and his half-brother, Edward Fairfax (1580?-1635), was an English translator. Henry Fairfax (15...
Sir William Fairfax (1609-1644), was an officer in the Parliamentary army during the English Civil War; and his grandson, Robert Fairfax (1665-1725), a rear admiral; Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax o...
John Fairfax (1623-1700), was an English ejected minister, second son of Benjamin Fairfax (1592-1675); Henry Fairfax (1634-1702), an English clergyman and academic, Dean of Norwich after the Glorious...

Fairfax Ranking

In the United States, the name Fairfax is the 13,792^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Fairfax migration to the United States +

Gradually becoming disenchanted with life in Ireland many of these uprooted families sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. These overcrowded ships often arrived with only 60 to 70% of their original passenger list, many dying of illness and the elements, were buried at sea. In North America, early immigrants bearing the family name Fairfax, or a spelling variation of the surname include:

Fairfax Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. Nicholas Fairfax, who left England and arrived in Maryland in 1634 aboard the ship "Ark and Dove", may have died on board.
Thomas Fairfax, who landed in New York in 1649 5

Fairfax Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Peter Fairfax, who arrived in Virginia in 1702 5
William Fairfax, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1725 5
William Fairfax, who settled in Maryland in 1742
William Fairfax, who landed in Virginia in 1757 5

Fairfax Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles Snowden Fairfax, (1829 - 1802) 10th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 after leaving Virginia on the "Glenmore" and then the "California" 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Fairfax (post 1700) +

Sir William George Fairfax (1739-1813), English vice-admiral in the Royal Navy
William Fairfax (1691-1757), English diplomat and politician, Collector of Customs in Barbados, Chief Justice and Governor of the Bahamas and later Customs agent in Marblehead, Massachusetts
John Fairfax (1930-2009), English poet
Russell Lance Fairfax (b. 1952), Australian former professional rugby league footballer and coach of the 1970s and 1980s
Robert Fairfax (1707-1793), 7th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, Scottish peer, Lord Fairfax of Cameron (1781-1793)
John Fairfax (1937-2012), British ocean rower and adventurer; the first person to row solo across an ocean in 1969
John Contee Fairfax (1830-1900), 11th Lord Fairfax, Scottish peer, Lord Fairfax of Cameron (1869-1900)
Admiral Sir Henry Fairfax KCB, FRGS (1837-1900), Scottish Royal Navy officer, Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth, third son of Sir Henry Fairfax, 1st Baronet
lan Geoffrey Fairfax (b. 1906), Australian cricketer who played in 10 Tests from 1929 to 1931
Lady Mary Fairfax AC, OBE (1922-2017), born Marie Wein, Polish-born Australian philanthropist, one of Australia's richest women
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Fairfax Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Je le feray durant ma vie
Motto Translation: I will do it so long as I live.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"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)