Show ContentsFergar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Fergar

What does the name Fergar mean?

Among the clans of the Scottish/English Borderlands, the Strathclyde Britons were the first to use the name Fergar. It is derived from the Gaelic MacFhearchair which means son of Farquhar and Farquhar is derived from the Gaelic word Fearchar which means very dear one. So, the name means son of the very dear one. 1 2

Early Origins of the Fergar family

The surname Fergar was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire, where they have enjoyed their seat at Kyle Stewart for many generations. The history is quite separate from that of Farquharson.

Robert Farquhar, Laird of Gilmilnescroft about the year 1350 was the first Chief on record and he was probably a direct descendant of Ferchart, father of Fergus, one of the chiefs setting the bounds of Newbattle Abbey in 1178. Descended was Ferkar, Earl of Ross, 1224-1231, and at this time a branch was started in the north at Caithness at Ederlarg. 1

Early History of the Fergar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fergar research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1445, 1646, 1677, 1699, 1706, 1707, 1751, 1774, 1813, 1818, 1819, 1823, 1826 and 1839 are included under the topic Early Fergar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fergar Spelling Variations

The origin of rules governing the spelling of names and even words is a very recent innovation. Before that, words and names were spelled according to sound, and, therefore, often appeared under several different spelling variations in a single document. Fergar has been spelled Farquhar, Farquher, Farker, Farkar, Forker, Farquar, Farquer and many more.

Early Notables of the Fergar family

Notable amongst the family at this time was George Farquhar (1677-1707), an Irish dramatist, born in Derry. He is bet known for his Restoration comedy, including his plays The Constant Couple (1699), The Recruiting Officer (1706) and The Beaux' Stratagem (1707).3John Farquhar (1751-1826) was a Scottish dealer in gunpowder, born of humble parents at Bilbo, in the parish of Crimond, Aberdeenshire who by the time of his death had amassed about £1.5 million...
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fergar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fergar family to Ireland

Some of the Fergar family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fergar family

The persecution faced in their homeland left many Scots with little to do but sail for the colonies of North America. There they found land, freedom, opportunity, and nations in the making. They fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence, or traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In both cases, they made enormous contributions to the formation of those great nations. Among them: Thomas, Margeret, his son Thomas and James Fargar settled in Charles Town South Carolina in 1767; George Farquar settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1768.



The Fergar Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Sto cado fide et amis
Motto Translation: I stand and fall by faith and arms.


  1. 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)
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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