Fierman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Fierman originated with the Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled Britain. It is derived from the given names Firmin, Farman or Ferman. "The great home of this name and all its varied forms was Norfolk. From hence it extended as Firmin into Essex. In these districts the surname is still common." [1]

The name may have been Norman in origin as Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae listed N. Firmin of Normandy,1180-95 and William Forman, 1198. [2]

Early Origins of the Fierman family

The surname Fierman was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat at Gateforth, which at the time of the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086 was known as Gereford, and granted by the King to Ilbert de Lacy. [3]

As mentioned before, Norfolk quickly became the most popular county for the family. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: John Fayerman and Richard Fayrman, as both holding lands there at that time. [1]

Later more records were revealed. Walter Fayrman, was vicar of Lakenham, Norfolk in 1369 and Farman Alberd, was bailiff of Yarmouth in 1325. This same individual is found as Fairman Alberd in 1306. [4]

Early History of the Fierman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fierman research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1937, 1614, 1697, 1662, 1614, 1632, 1638, 1647, 1632, 1697, 1632 and 1635 are included under the topic Early Fierman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fierman Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Fierman has appeared include Fireman, Fermin, Firmin, Firmins, Firman, Virman and many more.

Early Notables of the Fierman family (pre 1700)

Distinguished members of the family include Humphrey Brook Firman of Gateforth and Brayton in Yorkshire. Giles Firmin (1614-1697), was an English minister and physician, Deacon in the first church in Massachusetts of John Cotton, and ejected minister in 1662. he was the son of Giles Firmin, and was born at Ipswich in 1614. In 1632 he went with his father to New England. While at Boston, Massachusetts, he was ordained deacon of the first church, of which John Cotton was minister. At Ipswich, Massachusetts, he received in 1638 a grant of 120 acres of land. He practised medicine in New England, and...
Another 136 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fierman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fierman family to Ireland

Some of the Fierman family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fierman migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Fierman arrived in North America very early:

Fierman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Paulus Fierman, aged 60, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1741 [5]
Paulus, Fierman Jr., aged 18, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1741 [5]

Fierman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

I W Fierman, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1855 [5]

The Fierman 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: Firmus in Christo
Motto Translation: Firm in Christ.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
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)