FARTHING
The surname Farthing is of English origin and its earliest recorded forms appear in the mid‑thirteenth century. It is generally believed to have arisen from the Old English word feorðing, meaning “a fourth part” or “quarter.” In medieval usage this term applied both to a division of land and to a monetary value, and it was adopted as a nickname for individuals who dealt with such quarters, whether in landholdings, rents or the circulation of the low‑value coin known as the farthing.
According to contemporary sources, the name may have been given to a person who paid a farthing in rent, to a person who settled on a quarter‑land, or to a clerk who collected tolls on a quarterly basis. The coin itself, issued from 1787 until the early 1960s, was the smallest denomination in use in England and was often referred to locally as a “farthin.” Those who were recognised for handling or dispersing these coins sometimes acquired the surname as a distinctive mark of occupation.
The earliest surviving instance of the family name is recorded as William Farthain in documents dated between 1163 and 1166 which relate to the Danelaw in London during the reign of Henry I, the builder of churches. This early appearance is corroborated by the appearance of Edward Farthing as a resident of the parish of St Michael in the Barbadoes in 1678, demonstrating the surname’s presence in the New World by the seventeenth century.
Variations of the spelling of Farthing have included Farthing, Farthinge, Fathinge, Farninge, Fahrig, Farning and Farnin. These alternative forms appear sporadically in parish records and tax rolls across England, but the standard contemporary spelling is usually retained in modern references.
Geographical distribution data indicate that the surname is most prevalent within the United Kingdom, with strong concentrations found in Staffordshire, Oxfordshire, Cheshire and Derbyshire – counties that were occupied by Anglo‑Saxons from the early fifth century. Outside of England, the name occurs in small numbers in Wales and Scotland, and it has travelled overseas to Canada, the United States, Germany, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, typically in the form of isolated families rather than widespread communities.
The Farthing family crest, as described in heraldic sources, depicts three gold Farthing coins upon a silver shield. The accompanying motto is the Latin phrase Fiducia Sempiterno, which translates into English as “steadfastness forever.” This emblemates the historical association of the name with the value and reliability of small monetary units, and it provides a visual reminder of the surname’s lasting heritage.
Typical given names associated with the Farthing surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Stephen
Female
- Angela
- Anne
- Claire
- Emma
- Karen
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Rachel
- Rebecca
- 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 Farthing in...
Braille
⠋⠁⠗⠞⠓⠊⠝⠛
Morse
..-..-.-.-......-.--.
Semaphore
There are approximately 2,420 people named Farthing in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,599th most common surname in Britain. Around 37 in a million people in Britain are named Farthing.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Farthing
- Jack Farthing - Actor
- Alan Farthing - Obstetrician and gynaecologist
- Stephen Farthing - Artist
- Walter Farthing - Politician (1887 to 1954)
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.