FARROW
Farrow is a surname of English origin which has been established for several centuries. The earliest documented instance of the name appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, when a man named Hugo Farrour was recorded. The spelling at that time illustrates the medieval English tendency for the suffix -er to soften to -ar, a pronunciation change that is reflected in later variations such as Farrer and Farrar.
The meaning of Farrow is not fixed, as the name evolved in several regions and contexts. One explanation identifies it as a topographic name for a person who lived near a narrow passage or alleyway called a farrow; the word is derived from the Middle English faerwe. Another credible interpretation points to a nickname for a person of fair hair or a fair complexion, rooted in the Old English word fær, meaning “fair” or “beautiful.”
In a different vein, Farrow has been treated as an occupational surname connected to the craft of blacksmithing. The name is a variant of Farrier, which itself comes from Middle English and Old French terms such as ferreor or ferour, meaning a smith or a worker in iron. The underlying Latin root is ferrum, signifying iron. Historical records from Yorkshire show people named James Farro (1525), William Farrowe (1528), Alys Farray (1559), Roger Farrer (1613) and William Farrar (1675), confirming this link.
Other medieval English explanations link the surname to the breeding or rearing of pigs, an occupation of considerable importance in Middle‑Age England. The derivation is from Middle English farr, itself from the Old English pre‑7th‑century word fearh, meaning “pig.” This sense of the word also gave rise to topographic names for those living in a furrow or trench, described as farewe. Variants that have survived include Farroe, Farrowe and Farro.
There is a further hypothesis that the surname is connected to the Old English word fearn, meaning “fern.” In that case, Farrow would have been used for someone who lived near fern‑covered ground. The evolution of the name from Fearn to forms such as Farrar and Farrow is documented in several parish registers across Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire.
Over time the name spread beyond its English beginnings. The United States now records more than twelve thousand individuals bearing the name, making it one of the most common bearers abroad. The surname has also reached Australia, Canada and New Zealand, largely through migration during Britain’s colonial period. In England itself, the name remains most frequently encountered in the East Anglia region and in Yorkshire, reflecting its deep local roots.
Variations of the surname are numerous and include spellings such as Farrar, Farrer, Farrah, Farra, Farrey, Faro, Pharo, Pharro, Pharrow, Varah, Varey and Vairow. Church registers in London record baptisms and marriages of individuals with surnames like Thomas Pharo (St. Dunstan's, 1632) and John Pharo (St. Giles', 1697), indicating the persistence of alternate forms in urban contexts.
While the surname Farrow possesses multiple legitimate origins—topographic descriptions of narrow alleys, nicknames for fair‑haired individuals, occupational links to smithery, toiling in the pork industry and association with ferny landscapes—each derivation is supported by historical documents and linguistic evidence. Contemporary bearers of the name thus carry a heritage that is both remarkably diverse and firmly grounded in the medieval strata of English society.
Typical given names associated with the Farrow surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Claire
- Deborah
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Jacqueline
- Julie
- Linda
- Margaret
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Farrow in...
Braille
⠋⠁⠗⠗⠕⠺
Morse
..-..-.-..-.---.--
Semaphore
There are approximately 9,935 people named Farrow in the UK. That makes it the 933rd most common surname in Britain. Around 153 in a million people in Britain are named Farrow.
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 Farrow
- Mia Farrow - American actress, singer, humanitarian and former fashion model
- Ronan Farrow - American human rights activist, journalist, lawyer and government official. Was essential in startin
- William H. Farrow - World War I flying ace (1893 to 1946)
- Kenneth Farrow - Police officer (1924 to 2007)
- Des Farrow - Football player (1926 to 2019)
- Jonathan Farrow - Cricketer
- Millie Farrow - Football player
- Farrow - Musician
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.