Home My General Genealogy Origins of the Name Ferrier
Origins of the Name Ferrier

Please note I am not sure of the source of some of these quotes. If anyone can correct, tell me the source, add to or provide alternative sources then I would be grateful. (see contact panel when you are registered and logged on)

The following are some of the sources of the name that I have come across. I don't guarantee their accuracy.

  • Ferrers: Henry de Feireres,  de Fereres,  de Ferrariis,  1086 DB; Henry Ferreres,  Ferrieres ib.; Hugo de Ferrers 1222 Cur (He). The Ferrers,  earls of Derby,  came from Ferrieres-Saint- Hilaire (Eure) and the Ferrers of Bere and Newton Ferrers (Devon) from Ferritres (La Manche). v. ANF.
  • Ferrier, (Reference: A dictionary of British Surnames P.H.Reaney ) Ferrior: Sibyll le Feryere 1279 RH (Hu) ; John Feryour 1390 LoPleas. A derivative of ferry ‘one who keeps or looks after a ferry’ (c1440 NED). As the Chronicle of Battle Abbey is written in Latin William Smith appears as ‘Willielmus Faber’ .His Norman companions would have called him ‘le fevre’ or ‘le ferour’ which words have given rise to a variety of surnames,  Feade,  (not common),  Ferrar,  Farrar/er and even Farrow. No doubt Ferrier is also sometimes from the same source,  but there were many ferries on the unbridged rivers of the Middle Ages and the man in charge was a ‘ferrier’ .Another complication is that at least two baronial families came from Norman villages called Ferrieres,  and were known in England as de Ferrers,  so that altogether the Norman version of this trade name is as confused as the English is simple. But even if all the possible French fonns were added together they would not amount to one-twentieth of the numbers of Smith.
  • Ferriman,  Ferryman, Robert Ferriman 1192 P (Berks); Richard le Ferriman 1246 Ass La. M.E. feri and man, identical in meaning with Ferrier (1464 MED ) (Source Middle English Dictionary Cd H.Kurath, S.M.Kuhn and J Reidy, Ann Arbour 1954.).
  • FERRIER .(Reference: The Surnames of Scotland.) (1) From OF. ferrier (<Lat. ferrarius), a blacksmith, maker of horseshoes.  Ferrier of Kintrockat is an old family in Angus. A payment was made in 1301 of ten pence to Henry the Ferrier for iron for the King’s use, and fivepence to Walter the Ferrier for the same purpose (Bain, n, 1271).  The Scottish Ferriers carry horseshoes in their arms, but this may be simply canting heraldry. (2) A second possible derivation is from the occupation of ferryman. Lands originally attached to the ferry between Dumbarton and the point of Cardross parish, where the bridge now stands, called Ferrylands, were in 1512 in possesion of Robert Ferrier or Ferrylands CF. John Glen, ferrier at Erskine Boat, 1696 (Coreshill, p 191). Peter Ferryar, maltman, burgess of Glasgow, 1596 (Burgesses, Feirer 1615).
  • FERUR.(Reference: The Surnames of Scotland.)  A different formation from Ferrier, q.v. The farrier is one who shoes horses.  Radulf Ferur was juror on inquisition on land of Padevinan, i259 (APS., i, p. 98; Bain, i, 2175).  Alan le Ferur of Kellawe, Berwickshire, rendered homage, 1296 (Bain, u, p. 210), and Henry Ferur of Travirnent was on inquisition held at Berwick in same year (ibid.-, 824).  As Henry le Ferour of Travement the latter rendered homage, 1296.  His seal shows a hammer in pale, S’ Henrici Ferur (Bain, n, p. 203, 546).  John le Ferour was received to the English king’s peace, 1321 (ibid., m, 724), and Nicholas Ferur witnessed an instrument ‘de creations abbatis,’ 1326 (RMP., p.10).  John Ferrour was fined in 1358 (ER., x,p. 559), and a later John Ferrour was curate of Brechin, 1506, 1511 (REB., u, 150, 164). Ferror 1485. ,
  • Italian Sources: (Reference: Italian Heraldry, Nobility and Genealogy, 1997 Louis Mendola, Italian Genealogical & Heraldic Institute). ......In the middle of the twelfth century, during the Norman rule of much of Italy, coats of arms developed as distinctive insigna painted on the shields of knights and other nobleman. In combat, friend and foe could identify the fully armored knight, whose face was concealed by a helmet, according to the colorful design on his decorated shield. The same design appeared on his surcoat - hence the term “coat of arms.” With time, the right to use certain (blazons), as well as feudal titles (i.e. count, baron, etc.), passed from father to son. Since these insigna and titles are incorporeal property of particular families, it is obvisious that unrelated families which by mere coincedence share their surnames (whether Ferrar, Rosso, Smith or Jones) cannot claim these coats of arms or titles of nobility as their own. To do so would like Mr. Johnson of Wales claiming the estate of the late Mr. Johnson of New York simply because he happens to have the same surname. The hereditary nature of coats of arms and titles of nobility is readily apparent if their historical development is considered. So closely linked is heraldry to genealogy that the Italian word for coat of arms, stemma is the Latin for family tree. ...............
  • According to another source the Ferriers were Huguenots,from France. " The homeland of  the Ferriers was in & around the ancient walled city of Carcasonne,& Huguenots from the province of Languedor.During the persecution , they escaped to England, to Canterbury , Kent, England. Apparently the Ferrier name is on a scroll in the Huguenot Chapel of Canterbury.
  • BY HENRY FARRAR (extracted from a long note)

Farrer, Fairer, Farrow, Farrar, Fayrer, Farrowe, Ferrer, Ferrier, Ferrour, Farah, Ferur, Pharrow, Farro, Fara or Pharoe? Can they possibly be inter-related?

If our ancestors were Norman landowners, they would most likely have added the names of their estates to their first name. ‘Henry de Ferrières’ for instance, is the name of a Norman baron who was lord over Ferrières Saint-Hilaire, a small iron mining village near Bernay in Normandy, who fought at Hastings with William the Conqueror.

After the conquest he began a line in England which gave their name to such places as Higham Ferrers and is represented today by Lord Ferrers of Baddesly Clinton, and, if proof could be found, possibly by other families using similar spellings.

Guillaume de Ferrières is also on the battle roll of those who fought at Hastings. It appears he came from another village in Normandy also called Ferrières. This too was a centre of iron mining and is situated a few miles South of Mortain. Once it was ruled by Robert, Count de Mortain, half brother of King William, who assisted in the conquest of England. Count Robert was rewarded with large estates in the West country and some of these manors where later held by William (or Guillaume) de Ferrers. His family name is represented today in Devon and Cornwall by Bere Ferrers and Churston Ferrers.

So, by the end of the 11th century, it appears two completely separate families had become established in England and were using de Ferrers after their first names. Initially, however, surnames derived from places were only handed down to the eldest son; often because the property which provided the name in the first place only passed to that son. This meant that a family could consist of brothers and sisters with different surnames. .... The practice of using de (or ‘of’) was mainly dropped as the association with Norman estates was lost.

Similarly, the le (or ‘the’) which in medieval times had been used by craftsmen for personal identification, was also dropped. An early example of its use is provided by Peter le Ferour (or Peter the farrier - the one who shoed horses) who was a tenant of the Archbishop of York at Garton-on-the-Wolds in 1315. It is unlikely his children would have continued with that name at that time unless they too worked as farriers.

To add to this confusion, there are good grounds for believing that many ‘Farrars’ are descended from a Viking who settled in Westmorland and gave his name to Crosby Ravensworth - but that’s another story.

 

Ferris History

Ferris is one of the numerous families descended from the deFerriers who entered England at the time of the Norman Conquest in the year 1066. The Ferris, Ferrer, Farrer, Ferrier, Farris, Farrar, and Faries families all claim descent from this one original stock. The name has been corrupted to so many various spellings until one has to make a careful study to show above all doubt that they are the same family. The following Pedigree of the Ferrers, from American Ancestry, Vol. VII, "The Ferris family was originally from Leicestershire, England, descended from Henri de Ferriers, son of Gwalchalme de Ferriers, Master of Horse to the Duke of Normandy, 'Upon the Battle Abbey Roll is found the name of Henri de Ferriers." From Nesbit's heraldry, Vol. 1, p.439: In the reign of Alexander the second, a family by the name of Ferrier lived in Travent in Haddingtonshire, whose seal of Arms was appended to an alienation of some lands in the locality, to the family of Seton, on which was a shield charged with three horse shoes. The Ferriers were a considerable family in England, and there were several distinguished persons of the name of France. The surname is originally Norman, and is one of the many derived from the working iron, which is not confined to any country. Among the Norman Knights who came into England with William the Conqueror, was one named Henry Ferriers, from Ferriers or Ferrieres, a small town of Gastinois in France. He bore for his arms six horse shoes, and his descendants of the same surname possess the estate of Baddlesley Clinton, Warwickshire.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 March 2010 14:22
 
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