Fernley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Fernley is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in a forest glade carpeted with ferns. The name Fernley is derived from two Old English elements: fearn, the old English word for ferns, and leah, a word for a clearing in a forest.

Early Origins of the Fernley family

The surname Fernley was first found in Farnley, a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire. This place name dates back to c. 1030 and was originally spelt Fernleage eluding to its Saxon heritage. There were three listings of separate villages in the Domesday Book of 1086: Fernelai; Fernelei; and Fereleia. 1 All were in the same area of Yorkshire. There are two Farnley Halls each with different origins but neither were held by the Fernley family. Alternatively, the name could have originated in Derbyshire at Fernilee, a township, in the parish of Hope, union of Chapel-en-le-Frith, hundred of High-Peak that was originally spelt Ferneley in the 12th century. Both place names literally mean "woodland clearing where ferns grow," from the Old English words "fearn" + "leah." 2 Some of the first records of the name include: Hugh de Fernlee who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Worcestershire in 1206; and Hugh de Fernelay who was listed in Yorkshire in 1316. 3 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 had the following entries: Johannes de Farnelay, living at Fernelay; Johannes de Fernelee; Margeria de Fernelee; and Johanna de Ferenlowe. 4

Early History of the Fernley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fernley research. Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fernley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fernley Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Fernley has been spelled many different ways, including Fearnley, Fernlie, Fernley and others.

Early Notables of the Fernley family

Distinguished members of the family include

Sir Thomas Fernley

Fernley migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Fernleys to arrive in North America:

Fernley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Fernley, who arrived in Virginia in 1622 5
Thomas Fernley, who settled in Virginia in 1623
Henry Fernley, who landed in Maryland in 1680 5

Fernley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James, John and Thomas Fernley all, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860

Contemporary Notables of the name Fernley (post 1700) +

Robert George Fernley (1953-2023), British motorsport manager businessman who served as a chairman of the FIA Single-Seater Commission
Fernley H. Damstrom, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II, credited with 8 aerial victories

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)