Farra History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Spain
Ireland

The Farra name was coined by the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. Farra was originally a name given to someone who worked as a shoer of horses, or a farrier. In the Middle Ages, horses were the only alternative to walking as a means of transportation. This made the farrier a very important person; not only did they replace horseshoes, but they also diagnosed any number of ailments of the animals. In short, their job was to keep the horse on the road and in good health. This importance was reflected in the fact that they were often free, instead of being bonded to the land in the way that serfs and peasants were.

Early Origins of the Farra family

The surname Farra was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire at Wortley, a chapelry, in the parish of St. Peter, liberty of the borough of Leeds. "This place, in the Domesday Survey styled Wyrteley, formerly belonged to the Farrars, of Halifax, from whom the manor was purchased in 1766 by the family of the present owner." [1]

Early History of the Farra family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Farra research. Another 154 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1402, 1754, 1691, 1689, 1691, 1652 and 1692 are included under the topic Early Farra History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Farra Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Farra are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Farra include: Farrar, Farrer, Farror, Farrough, Farrow, Farrowe, Varrow, Varrowe, Varow, Vairow, Varer and many more.

Early Notables of the Farra family (pre 1700)

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Farra Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Farra family to Ireland

Some of the Farra family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Farra migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Farra or a variant listed above:

Farra Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Farra, who landed in Virginia in 1650 [2]

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)