The roots of the
Anglo-Saxon name Farnehill come from when the family resided by a fern-covered hill. The name is both a surname and a place-name, and is derived from the Old English elements
fearn, for fern, and
hyll, the word for hill.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X) Alternatively, another source notes that the surname denotes a "dweller at the Fern Slope or Corner [Old English fearn + heal(h)] for Farnhill."
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print Early Origins of the Farnehill family
The surname Farnehill was first found in East
Cheshire at Fernhill, or at Farnhill in West Riding of
Yorkshire or at Farnell Wood in
Kent. Some of the first records of the name include: Richard de Farenhull in 1214; William de Fernhulle in 1263 and Hugh de la Fernhull in 1275; John de Farnhull, listed in the
Hundredorum Rolls of 1273; and William
atte Farnhulle in 1298.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X) In Scotland, the name was derived from "the lands of Famell in Angus. Between 1214 and 1246 Duncan de Ferneuel witnessed charters by Malcolm, earl of Angus, and a charter of land in the territory of Kerimor to Arbroath Abbey. Meg Fernwale is recorded in Aberdeen, 1408." [3]CITATION[CLOSE]
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Early History of the Farnehill family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Farnehill research.
Another 183 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1379 and 1246 are included under the topic Early Farnehill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Farnehill Spelling Variations
The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,
spelling variations are common among early
Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Farnehill has been recorded under many different variations, including Farnell, Farnel, Farnall, Farnyll, Farnill and many more.
Early Notables of the Farnehill family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Farnehill Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Farnehill family to Ireland
Some of the Farnehill family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Farnehill family to the New World and Oceana
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded
England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Farnehill or a variant listed above: Robert Farnell purchased land in Virginia in 1623. Mary Farnell also landed in Virginia, later, in 1655.