Fernow History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Fernow family

The surname Fernow was first found in Staffordshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor close to the Cheshire border. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1332 when Adam de Fernyhough held estates.

Early History of the Fernow family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fernow research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1383, 1455, 1487 and 1621 are included under the topic Early Fernow History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fernow Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Fernow include Fernihough, Ferneyhough, Fernyhough, Fearnyhough, Fernyough, Ferniho, Fernow, Fernihalgh and many more.

Early Notables of the Fernow family

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

Migration of the Fernow family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Fernow or a variant listed above: settlers, who arrived along the eastern seaboard, from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands.

Contemporary Notables of the name Fernow (post 1700) +

Bernard Fernow (1851-1923), American Chief Forester of the USDA in the late 1800s; he believed that forests were part of the "great economy of nature"
Karl Ludwig Fernow (1763-1808), German art critic and archaeologist