This surname is derived from an occupation. 'a maker of horse-shoes'; Old French ferrer, to shoe horses (v. Ferrer), now a farrier in an altered sense. For form Farrer, in place of Ferrer, compare Clark and Clerk, Darby and Derby, parson and person, also farrier, the occupative term. Once a great Yorkshire trade-name, now a great Yorkshire surname.

Thomas le Ferrur, Close Rolls, 3 Edward I.

Willelmus Ferour, ferour, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Johannes Crayk, ferour, 1379: ibid.

Hugo Farrour, 1379: ibid.

Thomas Farrour' 1379: ibid.

William de Wistow, ferrour, 3 Edward II: Freemen of York.

Farrar or Farrer is an old West Riding surname. Its origin is uncertain. Fayrher occurs in Cambridgeshire in thirteenth century, whilst de Ferar or de Ferrar is found in Derbyshire, Devonshire, and Oxfordshire (Hundred Rolls) (Guppy, p. 427). William Farar, chaplain and charter witness, 1491 (Scon, p. 199). Walter Fayrhare was a forestalls in Aberdeen, 1402 (CRA., p. 384). In 1559 John Farar in Inverness "is contentit and he be fundyn slaing salmon on the Vater of Nes to be hangit" (Rec. Inv., I, p. 31). Andreas Firrer is recorded in Orkney, 1562 (ibid., p. 84). The relict of Thomas Fayrhar had lease of part of the town and lands of Craigmakeran, 1585 (Scon, p. 226). compare under Farquhar.

Farrier: v. Ferrier.

Probably a corruption of Fair-hair, answering to Le Blond, Harfager, &c. In the H.R. we have Fayrher. In a document of the year 1555, a Norfolk incumbent is called John Fayrhawr, alias Farrar. Blomefield's Norfolk, vii. 286. 2. Perhaps another form of Ferrers.

A corruption of Farrier, a name of trade. Pfarrer, in German, a minister.

Armorially identified with Ferrers of Bere-Ferrers. See Ferrers.

From the Danish, Farrer; a personal name.

The West Riding of Yorkshire would seem to be the principal home of the Farrars or Farrers, though the name has long been known in this county. There was a gentle family of Farrar at Harrold in the 17th century (H.). Frauncis Farrer was a Bedfordshire gentleman who contributed £25 for his country's defence at the time of the expected invasion of the Spanish Armada in 1588 (Sp.).

Farrar or Farrer is a very old West Riding name. The Farrers of Halifax were an ancient gentle family, possessing the Eawood estate in that parish in the 16th century (W.); and William Farrer was a Halifax gentleman in the reign of Charles II. (D.). The Farrers of Leeds were an old family of Wortley in that parish, and were lords of the manor at the beginning of last century: in 1694, Miles Farrer was master of the Free School, Leeds; one branch of this family trace their pedigree to the time of Elizabeth (Th.). The name is still numerous in the Halifax and Leeds districts. John Farrar was one of the Torkshire gentlemen who in 1642 endeavoured to prevent the civil war extending to the county (D.). The origin of the name is somewhat uncertain. A Norfolk incumbent of the 16th century was called John Fayrhawr, alias Farrar (L.); and in the 13th century the name of Fayrher occurred in the adjoining county of Cambridge, whilst De Ferar or De Ferrar was then found in Derbyshire, Devonshire, Oxfordshire, etc. (H. R.).