FERRIS
Ferris is a surname of Irish origin, first recorded in the late sixteenth century in County Kerry during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It is derived from the Gaelic patronym Ó Fearghuis or O' Fearghusa, meaning son of Fearghus. The personal name Fearghus is composed of the elements fear – “man” – and gus – “vigor” or “force”.
The surname has been Anglicised in several forms, including Ferris, Farris, Ferriss, and Fergus. In the North-East of Ulster the names Ferris and Farris are widespread, and in County Kerry they are associated with a branch of the O'Moriarty sept. The name has also been recorded as (O) Fergus and Farrissy, reflecting the fluidity of spelling in early modern Irish and English documents.
Ferris is found primarily in Ireland and Scotland, where it is coupled with elements of the Gaelic language that indicate lineage and personal character. The surname also appears in England, where it is classified as an English surname of either given-name or forename origin. Historically, bearers of the surname have been noted in Christian communities across the British Isles.
An important historical figure bearing the name was Father Edward Ferris (1738–1809), who became the first president of Maynooth College, an institution founded to educate clergy for the Catholic Church in Ireland. His appointment illustrates the prominence of the surname within ecclesiastical circles of the period.
In genealogical records, the earliest confirmed use of the spelling Ferris is found in the 1586 Census of County Kerry. This documentation provides a firm anchor for scholars tracing the lineage of families who carry the name in contemporary times.
Typical given names associated with the Ferris surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- William
Female
- Deborah
- Elizabeth
- Joanne
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Ferries
- Ferres
- Farris
- Faris
- Farries
- Faries
- Farriss
- Fairris
- Farres
- Farias
- Fariss
- Farrish
- Fairies
- Farrie
- Fariz
- Freris
- Ferri
- Ferrise
- Faers
- Faiers
- Faires
- Fairess
- Fairooz
- Fairs
- Farace
- Faraci
- Faras
- Faraz
- Farazi
- Farci
- Fares
- Farese
- Faress
- Fari
- Farissi
- Farooz
- Farouz
- Farras
- Farress
- Farrows
- Farrs
- Fars
- Farse
- Farsi
- Farys
- Farzi
- Fayres
- Fearce
- Feares
- Fearis
- Fearr
- Fearria
- Fears
- Feers
- Fehri
- Fehrs
- Feras
- Feres
- Ferez
- Feri
- Feria
- Ferie
- Feries
- Ferik
- Ferins
- Feris
- Ferise
- Ferisy
- Feriz
- Ferizi
- Feros
- Feroz
- Feroza
- Feroze
- Ferozee
- Ferozi
- Ferr
- Ferrai
- Ferras
- Ferraz
- Ferrazza
- Ferrazzi
- Ferre
- Ferress
- Ferrey
- Ferrice
- Ferrick
- Ferrid
- Ferrie
- Ferrige
- Ferrigi
- Ferrin
- Ferrins
- Ferrio
- Ferrisey
- Ferrish
- Ferriss
- Ferrist
- Ferrit
- Ferritt
- Ferriz
- Ferros
- Ferrus
- Ferruzzi
- Ferry
- Ferus
- Feruzi
- Fery
- Fierce
- Fiers
- Fierz
- Fires
- Firoozi
- Firouzi
- Firoz
- Firrie
- Firris
- Firs
- Firus
- Firuz
- Foers
- Forace
- Foras
- Force
- Fores
- Forez
- Fori
- Foris
- Foroze
- Forras
- Forres
- Forress
- Fors
- Forse
- Forsie
- Forss
- Forys
- Forza
- Fraas
- Frace
- Frais
- Fraise
- Fraisse
- Fraiz
- Fras
- Frase
- Frasi
- Frass
- Frassi
- Frasso
- Frays
- Fraysse
- Fraz
- Frazao
- Fraze
- Frazee
- Freas
- Frease
- Frece
- Freece
- Frees
- Freese
- Freez
- Freeze
- Frehse
- Freise
- Freize
- Frese
- Fresia
- Freus
- Frews
- Freza
- Frezza
- Frias
- Frice
- Fries
- Friese
- Friess
- Friez
- Frieze
- Friis
- Fris
- Frisa
- Frise
- Friso
- Friss
- Friz
- Frize
- Frizi
- Frizzi
- Frizzo
- Froes
- Froese
- Frois
- Froise
- Fros
- Frose
- Frosi
- Fross
- Frouse
- Fruci
- Frus
- Fruse
- Fruzza
- Fryce
- Frys
- Fryz
- Fryza
- Furci
- Furesz
- Furi
- Furrie
- Furris
- Furrows
- Furs
- Furse
- Fursse
- Furusa
- Furuse
- Furz
- Furze
- Phairs
- Phares
- Pharez
- Pharis
- Pharris
- Phars
- Phires
- Phiroz
- Phyffers
- Varas
- Vares
- Varese
- Varesi
- Varias
- Varis
- Varris
- Vars
- Varus
- Varzi
- Vearce
- Veares
- Vears
- Veers
- Veiras
- Veras
- Verazzo
- Veres
- Verese
- Veress
- Verez
- Veris
- Veros
- Verras
- Verri
- Verries
- Verriez
- Verris
- Vers
- Verse
- Versi
- Verso
- Verza
- Verze
- Verzi
- Viars
- Viers
- Vires
- Viros
- Virzi
- Voors
- Voras
- Vorce
- Vores
- Voris
- Voros
- Vorres
- Vorse
- Vouros
- Vries
- Vrieze
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Ferris in...
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There are approximately 7,549 people named Ferris in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,241st most common surname in Britain. Around 116 in a million people in Britain are named Ferris.
Surname type: From given name or forename
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Ferris
- Pam Ferris - Actress
- Paul Ferris - Author and former criminal from Scotland
- Barbara Ferris - Actress and model
- Paul Ferris - Actor (1941 to 1995)
- Stephen Ferris - Irish rugby union player
- Paul Ferris - Northern Irish football player
- Sam Ferris - Long-distance runner (1900 to 1980)
- Gordon Ferris - Boxer
- Francis Ferris - High Court Judge (1932 to 2018)
- Elizabeth Ferris - Diver (1940 to 2012)
- Fred Ferris - Actor (1905 to 1978)
- Ray Ferris - Football player (1920 to 1)
- Tony Ferris - New Zealand association football 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.