Contents [hide]

Farrer History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Farrer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The ancient name of Farrer finds its origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from a name for a shoer of horses, or a farrier. 1 2

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.

While this is the generally accepted etymology of the name, one noted source claims the name to be a "corruption of Fair-hair, answering to Le Blond, Harfager, &c. In the Hundredorum Rolls, we have Fayrher. In a document of the year 1555, a Norfolk incumbent is called John Fayrhawr, alias Farrar. " 3

"All these names are variations of Ferrer. The unstressed -er was slurred in pronunciation and variously spelled -ey, -ah, -a, giving Farrey, Farrah and Farra. This was regarded as an incorrect dialectal pronunciation and the name was re-spelled Farrow, on the analogy of barrow. At Hoxne (Suffolk) in 1835, Dinah Farrer signed the marriage register Farrow. Initial Ph- for F- is common and Pharrow, Pharoe were associated with the biblical Pharaoh, which, however, may occasionally be a pageant name or a nickname." 4

Early Origins of the Farrer family

The surname Farrer 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." 5 "Once a great Yorkshire trade-name, now a great Yorkshire surname." 1

"The West Riding of Yorkshire would seem to be the principal home of the Farrars or Farrers, though the name has long been known in this county. There was a gentle family of Farrar at Harrold in the 17th century. The Farrers of Halifax were an ancient gentle family, possessing the Eawood estate in that parish in the 16th century (W.); and William Farrer was a Halifax gentleman in the reign of Charles II. (D.). The Farrers of Leeds were an old family of Wortley in that parish, and were lords of the manor at the beginning of last century: in 1694, Miles Farrer was master of the Free School, Leeds; one branch of this family trace their pedigree to the time of Elizabeth." 6

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included the following entries: Willelmus Ferour, ferour; Johannes Crayk, ferour; Hugo Farrour; and Thomas Farrour. 1

As one would expect with Yorkshire's proximity to Scotland, some of the first records in Scotland were "William Farar, chaplain and charter witness, 1491. Walter Fayrhare was a forestalls in Aberdeen, 1402. In 1559 John Farar in Inverness 'is contentit and he be fundyn slaing salmon on the Vater of Nes to be hangit'" 7 In some cases the name could have been a variant of Farquhar.

Early History of the Farrer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Farrer research. Another 294 words (21 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1402, 1525, 1562, 1585, 1613, 1632, 1641, 1642, 1652, 1675, 1679, 1689, 1691, 1692, 1754, 1796, 1802, 1837, 1879 and 1884 are included under the topic Early Farrer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Farrer Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Farrer family name include Farrar, Farrer, Farror, Farrough, Farrow, Farrowe, Varrow, Varrowe, Varow, Vairow, Varer and many more.

Early Notables of the Farrer family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Edward Farrer (died 1691), an Oxford academic and administrator, Master of University College, Oxford (1689-1691); and Joseph Farrow (1652?-1692), and English nonconformist clergyman from Boston, Linc...

Farrer Ranking

In the United States, the name Farrer is the 11,075^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 8

Migration of the Farrer family to Ireland

Some of the Farrer 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.

Farrer migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Farrer surname or a spelling variation of the name include :

Farrer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Elizabeth Farrer, aged 54, who settled in America from London, in 1892
Mrs. Thomas Farrer, aged 29, who landed in America from Nottingham, in 1892
Thomas Farrer, aged 26, who landed in America from Nottingham, in 1892
Farrer, aged 17, who landed in America, in 1893
Farrer, aged 43, who settled in America, in 1893
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Farrer Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Philip Farrer, aged 24, who landed in America from Donegal, in 1900
Joseph Farrer, aged 65, who immigrated to the United States from Blackpool, in 1903
Lister Farrer, aged 26, who settled in America from Blackpool, in 1904
Jack Farrer, who immigrated to the United States from Blackpool, in 1904
Edith Farrer, who landed in America from Blackpool, in 1904
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Farrer migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Farrer Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Farrer, British convict who was convicted in Norwich, Norfolk, England for life, transported aboard the "England" on 6th June 1835, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
John Farrer, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Carleton" in 1851 10
Robert Farrer, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Carleton" in 1851 10

Farrer migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Farrer Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Jane Farrer, (b. 1841), aged 23, English domestic servant from Westmoreland travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "William Miles" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 22nd October 1864 11
Miss Martha Farrer, (b. 1846), aged 18, English domestic servant from Westmoreland travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "William Miles" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 22nd October 1864 11

Farrer migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 12

Farrer Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mary Farrer, who settled in Jamaica in 1690

Contemporary Notables of the name Farrer (post 1700) +

Thomas Charles Farrer (1838-1891), English-born, American painter and teacher of painting in the United States
Joe Farrer, American politician who served as a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from the 44th district
Henry Farrer (1844-1903), English-born American artist known for his watercolor landscapes and etchings
Sir Charles Matthew Farrer GCVO (1929-2023), English private solicitor to the Queen Elizabeth II from 1965 to 1994, a senior partner with Farrer & Co
Anthony Thomas Farrer (1910-1964), 5th Baron Farrer, English peer
Oliver Thomas Farrer (1904-1954), 4th Baron Farrer, English peer
Cecil Claude Farrer (1893-1948), 3rd Baron Farrer, English peer
Thomas Cecil Farrer (1859-1940), 2nd Baron Farrer, English peer
Claude Erskine Farrer (1864-1890), English tennis player, second son of Thomas Farrer, 1st Baron Farrer
Sir Charles Matthew Farrer GCVO (1852-1928), English amateur footballer who played in the 1875 and 1876 FA Cup Finals
... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Farrer family +

HMS Halsted

Mr. Edward Farrer (b. 1925), Scottish Royal Navy ordinary seaman from Durham, England was stationed aboard the "HMS Halsted" when it was struck by torpedo by Jaguar and Mowe of the Cherbourg coast on 11th June 1944, he did not survive

HMS Repulse

Mr. Jack F Farrer, British Leading Seaman Able Bodied, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 13

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Baring-Gould S., Family Names and their Story. London: Seeley, Service & Co. Limited, 1913. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CARLETON 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Carleton.gif
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html