Show ContentsFeber History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Feber

What does the name Feber mean?

The surname Feber is derived from the Old French word "fevre," which meant "a blacksmith," therefore it was originally an occupational name for a smith or a metal worker. While the patronymic and metronymic surnames, those derived from the name of the father and mother respectively, were the most common form of a hereditary surname in France, occupational surnames also emerged during the late Middle Ages.

Early Origins of the Feber family

The surname Feber was first found in Savoy (French: Savoie) in the Rhône-Alpes region of the French Alps, where this noble family held a family seat since ancient times.

Throughout the centuries, families of this surname or one of its spelling variations could be found in many regions of France, including Vaud, Genève, Bresse, Lyonnais, Savoie, Dauphiné, Guillaume, and Echallens. Pierre of the Favre family of Lyon was a Consul in Lyon in 1382 and of his descendants, five were Magistrates of Lyon during the 16th century.

In Savoie, Gaspard was the secretary to the Duke in 1470 and one of the Senators of Savoie, as well as the President of the Senate. Guillaume, of Echallens from the county of Vaud, became a burgess, or businessman, in 1508 and his son, François, was one of the founders of the "Independence of Geneva" in 1534. Distinctive among his descendants were State Consuls of Geneva, Officers of State, General Treasurers, and the Lords of Dardagny, Russin, Malval, Confignon, and Châteauvieux, amongst others.

Pierre Lefebvre, born in 1642, son of Olivier and Michelle (née Renou), settled in Quebec in the 17th century. He married Marie-Madeleine Trudel, daughter of Jean and Marguerite (née Thomas), in 1674. The remained together until Pierre passed away at Charlesbourg on 21st November 1727. Pierre's brother, Robert Lefebvre, born in 1633, married Denise Gautier in Quebec on 7th February 1667. They remained together until Denise's death on 7th February 1695. Robert passed away on 3rd February 1703. 1

Early History of the Feber family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Feber research. Another 139 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1525, 1552, 1569, 1574, 1576, 1578, 1585, 1600, 1615, 1624, 1626, 1650, 1652, 1667, 1672, 1700, 1706 and 1716 are included under the topic Early Feber History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Feber Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Lefebvre, Lefebvres, Lefevres, Favre, Favres, Fevre, Febvre, Febvres, Favers, Lefabre, Lefabvres, Fabvres, Lefever and many more.

Early Notables of the Feber family

Notable in the family name at this time was Antoine Favre (d. 1626), Professor at the University of Valence; Jean Le Fèvre (1652-1706), a French astronomer and physicist; Tanneguy Lefebvre (1615-1672), French classical scholar; Etienne Favre was a Counsel at the Appeals Tribunal of Bresse where he had his noble status confirmed...
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Feber Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Feber migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Feber Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Isaac Feber, who landed in New York, NY in 1708 2
Feber Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Feber, who arrived in Indiana in 1852 2


  1. Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
  2. 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)


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