Farwell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Farwell is an old Anglo-Saxon name. It comes from when a family lived near a pleasant spring or stream. The name Farwell is derived from two Old English elements: fæger, which means fair or beautiful; and well, which was the name for a spring. There is a parish Farewell in Staffordshire, two miles from Lichfield.

Early Origins of the Farwell family

The surname Farwell was first found in Staffordshire at Farewell, a parish, in the union of Lichfield, S. division of the hundred of Offlow. The earliest record of the place was in 1200 when it was listed as Fagerwell. 1

Early History of the Farwell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Farwell research. Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Farwell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Farwell Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Farwell were recorded, including Farewell, Farwell, Fairwell and others.

Early Notables of the Farwell family

More information is included under the topic Early Farwell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Farwell Ranking

In the United States, the name Farwell is the 7,339^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2

Farwell migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Farwell family emigrate to North America:

Farwell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Henry Farwell, who landed in Massachusetts in 1636 3

Farwell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Roger Farwell, aged 25, who landed in New York in 1812 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Farwell (post 1700) +

Byron Edgar Farwell (1921-1999), American military historian and biographer
Arthur Farwell (1877-1952), American composer, conductor, educationalist, lithographer, esoteric savant, and music publisher
Jane Farwell (1916-1993), American folk dance and recreation leader
Leonard James Farwell (1819-1889), American politician and the second governor of Wisconsin
Charles Benjamin Farwell (1823-1903), U.S. Congressman and Senator from Illinois
Harry W. Farwell, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Allegany County, 1925 4
Grover C. Farwell, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New Hampshire State House of Representatives from Brookline, 1938; Delegate to New Hampshire State Constitutional Convention from Brookline, 1956 4
Francis C. II Farwell, American politician, Mayor of Lake Forest, Illinois, 1984-87 4
Eli Farwell, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Jefferson County, 1835 4
Charles Benjamin Farwell (1823-1903), American Republican politician, Cook County Clerk, 1854-62 4
... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
"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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, March 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html