FARMAN
Farman is an English family name that emerged in the early Middle Ages. It is recorded as an occupational surname in the early 13th century, linked to a role in local administration and, in some instances, to the owning or working of land.
Its etymology is not singular. In the Middle English period the word fareman denoted a traveller or a journeyman, and this appears as a plausible root for the surname. In other accounts the name is a variant of Fairman, derived from the Old English fægermann meaning a fair or handsome man. Yet another theory locates the origin in fearman, a form of the Old English fearr meaning a bull or bullock. Some scholars favour a root in the Anglo‑Saxon ferman, the medieval English term for a decree or official determinations, which would explain the occupational nature of the name. A further, but less frequent, derivation attaches the surname to the Old English word fearn, meaning fern, to describe a dwelling near fern-rich ground.
The earliest surviving record of the name is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk for the year 1201, where the name appears as Fariman, belonging to a man named Nicholas. In the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk dated 1208 the name is recorded as Reginald Fareman and Feierman, while a 1222 entry in the Somerset rolls names a Robert Farman, who was also known as Robert le Bel, the latter deriving from the Old French bel meaning beautiful.
Over the centuries the spelling of the name varied widely. Documented variants include Fairman, Fayerman, Fierman, Fireman, Farmen, Farnam, Farnham, Farnan, Farmann, Farhman and Farmon. These changes can be attributed to regional dialects, phonetic spelling by clerks and the influence of continental languages following the Norman conquest.
The heraldic emblem traditionally associated with the Farman surname consists of a silver lion rampant on a black shield. Heraldic description interprets this as an expression of courage, nobility, royalty, strength, stateliness and valor.
Throughout England and later France the surname has remained relatively uncommon, though it has spread internationally, particularly to the United States and Australia, as a result of emigration. Despite this dispersion the name continues to be recognisably English, retaining its historical links to the medieval occupation of local governance and to the natural landscape of fern‑laden countryside.
Typical given names associated with the Farman surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- Craig
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
- Steven
- William
Female
- Ann
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Jessica
- Louise
- Margaret
- Michelle
- Patricia
- Pauline
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Faerman
- Fairman
- Fairmaner
- Fairmann
- Farahmand
- Faran
- Fareman
- Fariman
- Farimani
- Farm
- Farma
- Farmahan
- Farmanbar
- Farmand
- Farmaner
- Farmani
- Farmar
- Farmen
- Farmin
- Farmon
- Farrowman
- Faughman
- Fauman
- Fayerman
- Fearman
- Fehrman
- Fehrmann
- Fereman
- Ferman
- Fermandes
- Ferriman
- Ferryman
- Feryman
- Feuerman
- Fierman
- Fireman
- Firman
- Firmani
- Firmanty
- Firmin
- Foreman
- Forma
- Forman
- Formanek
- Formann
- Fourman
- Fraiman
- Framan
- Frayman
- Freman
- Fuhrman
- Furman
- Furmanek
- Furmanik
- Furmank
- Vahrman
- Varma
- Varman
- Veerman
- Verman
- Vermani
- Virmani
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Farman in...
Braille
⠋⠁⠗⠍⠁⠝
Morse
..-..-.-.--.--.
Semaphore
There are approximately 1,077 people named Farman in the UK. That makes it roughly the 6,977th most common surname in Britain. Around 17 in a million people in Britain are named Farman.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Farman
- Paul Farman - Football player
- Joe Farman - Geophysicist (1930 to 2013)
- Georgina Farman - Ice hockey player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.