Fardent History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe ancestors of the Fardent surname lived among the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. As a surname, Fardent may have derived from a few sources. There was an Old Norse personal name "Faerthegn," which meant "a traveling warrior" or "Thane (Lord)," a mercenary who led a band of warriors and settled local disputes. 1 The "Farthing" denomination of English coinage dates back to the Old English "feorthing," which was a quarter of a penny. In this instance, Fardent may have been a nickname for someone who paid this amount in rent. Early Origins of the Fardent familyThe surname Fardent was first found in Devon where this ancient Anglo Saxon name was derived from the name Faerthegn and, immediately before the Norman Conquest as Farthein. The name was recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086 as Fardan or Fardein. 2 3 An extensive search of early rolls revealed Geoffrey Ferthing, recorded in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273; William Ferthing, listed in the Writs of Parliament for 1300; Richard Ferthing in the Close Rolls, 18 Edward I (during the eighteenth year of King Edward I's reign); and Robertus Farthing listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 4 The name could have originated in Faringdon, Berkshire where Thomas Fartheyn (1311), Thomas Fardeyn (1330) and Thomas Farendyn (1323) were all listed in the Writs of Parliament. The three entries above refer to one individual. 4 Early History of the Fardent familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fardent research. Another 46 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1700, 1723, 1736, 1743, 1782, 1786, 1787, 1801, 1830, 1838 and 1865 are included under the topic Early Fardent History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Fardent Spelling VariationsOnly recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Fardent has undergone many spelling variations, including Farthing, Fayting, Farthen, Farden, Fardon, Varthing, Vaytin, Fairthing, Fardin, Farthin and many more. Early Notables of the Fardent familyDistinguished members of the family include John Fardon I (1700-1743), an English clockmaker was apprenticed to Thomas Gilkes of Sibford Gower and traded in Deddington from about 1723. His only son John Fardon II (1736-1786) was only 10 years old when his father died and seems to have been apprenticed in London. He and his... Migration of the Fardent familyTo escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Fardent were among those contributors: Robert and Bertha Farthing settled in Virginia in 1637; Edward Farthing settled in Barbados in 1678; George Farthing arrived in Philadelphia in 1808; Cyrus Farthing settled in Herring Neck in Newfoundland in 1871.
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