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Irish surname

Farren: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Fearáin; Ó Faracháin · Ó Fearáin, 'descendant of Fearán' (diminutive of fear, a man, or 'pet' diminutive of Fearadach); Ó Faracháin, probably for Ó hAracháin, 'descendant of Arachán'

Woulfe (1923) lists Farren under two Irish names: Ó Fearáin, 'the name of a branch of the Cinel Eoghain in Ulster', and Ó Faracháin, 'a Donegal surname'. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 13 entries for Farren including spelling varieties (12 spelled Farren), 7 in Donegal and 4 in Londonderry. The actress Elizabeth Farren, later Countess of Derby, was born at Cork in 1759.

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Coat of arms associated with the Farren surname
Irish formÓ Fearáin; Ó Faracháin
MeaningÓ Fearáin, 'descendant of Fearán' (diminutive of fear, a man, or 'pet' diminutive of Fearadach); Ó Faracháin, probably for Ó hAracháin, 'descendant of Arachán'
CountiesDonegal, Londonderry
Other spellings6

Origin of the Farren name

Woulfe: (1) Ó Fearáin, 'descendant of Fearán', 'the name of a branch of the Cinel Eoghain in Ulster'; (2) Ó Faracháin, 'probably for Ó hAracháin, "descendant of Arachán," the initial f being intrusive; a Donegal surname'.[1][2]

  1. 1759Actress Elizabeth Farren born at Cork.[6]
  2. 1797Countess of Derby dies; Elizabeth Farren leaves the stage, marries the Earl of Derby.[6]
  3. 189013 entries including spelling varieties (12 spelled Farren): 7 in Donegal, 4 in Londonderry.[3][5]

Where in Ireland

Co. DonegalWoulfe calls Ó Faracháin 'a Donegal surname'; 7 of the 13 entries (including spelling varieties) in 1890.[2][3]
Co. Londonderry4 of the 13 Farren entries (including spelling varieties) in the 1890 birth indexes.[3]

Notable people named Farren

Elizabeth Farren, Countess of Derby1759–1829Actress born at Cork; appeared in London in June 1777; married the Earl of Derby in 1797 (Webb).[6]

Other spellings

Farran · Faran · Farron · Ferran · O Farran · Faren[1][2][4]

The Farren coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Farren surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Farren crest gifts

Clan Farren Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap PT89 Farren Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Farren Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Farren Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapLS12 Classic Cap - Farren Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Farren Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00

Farren surname: questions

Is Farren an Irish surname?

Yes. Woulfe gives Farren as an anglicised form of two Irish names, Ó Fearáin (Ulster, Cinel Eoghain) and Ó Faracháin (Donegal).[1][2]

What does Farren mean?

For Ó Fearáin, Woulfe gives 'descendant of Fearán', a diminutive of fear, 'a man', or a pet form of Fearadach. Ó Faracháin is probably for Ó hAracháin, 'descendant of Arachán'.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is the Farren name from?

Woulfe places Ó Fearáin in Ulster and calls Ó Faracháin a Donegal surname. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 13 entries for Farren including spelling varieties (12 spelled Farren): 7 in Donegal and 4 in Londonderry.[1][2][3]

Who was Elizabeth Farren?

An actress born at Cork in 1759. Webb says she made her appearance in London in June 1777; after the Countess of Derby died in March 1797 she took leave of the stage and on 8 May married the Earl of Derby. She died in 1829.[6]

Sources

  1. Ó Fearáin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/of/o-fearain.php
  2. Ó Faracháin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/of/o-farachain.php
  3. Farren — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/farren.php
  4. Farren — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/586.php
  5. Table Explanation — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/table-explanation.php
  6. Elizabeth Farren — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/ElizabethFarren.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).