Surname Feary - Meaning and Origin
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Feary: What does the surname Feary mean?
The last name Feary is derived from an Old English name, which was derived from the word "ferge". This word originated from the Middle English word "ferge", which means "to wander". It’s often thought that it may have been given to people who moved around a lot or were known to be travelers. The Feary surname is thought to be associated with the Fenwick family, whose ancestor was William de Fere. He was a Norman knight, a member of the Duke of Normandy's army and the first to take the surname Feary.
Feary is a relatively uncommon surname, which is found mainly in the North East of England. People with the last name originated from the areas around Durham and Northumberland and spread out into other parts of the world, primarily from England, in the 17th century. The Feary surname is still rarely found in the United States and other countries, but is fairly common in areas of the Northeast of the United Kingdom.
People with this surname were usually landowners or landowners’ sons, who worked as tenure tenants on the land. Feary families were also highly involved in the iron and coal industries, particularly in the North East of England. This was due to the availability of coal mining and iron smelters in the area.
The Feary surname symbolizes strength, adventure, stability, and perseverance. It often indicates that the bearer of the name is strong, determined, and keen to strive for success and progress.
Order DNA origin analysisFeary: Where does the name Feary come from?
The surname Feary is not the most common one today, but it is widely spread in the United Kingdom, United States and parts of Australia, Canada and South Africa. In Britain, the name is mainly recorded in three regions; London, Hampshire and Devon.
In the US, the name Feary is seen in several states, including New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. The most concentrated population of the Feary surname is found in New York and Virginia. It is also present in other states, such as Ohio, Illinois, Missouri and Arizona.
In Australia, the name is particularly associated with western Sydney, while South Africa has the largest concentration of Feary surnames in Cape Town. There are, however, smaller numbers of the Feary surname in most parts of the world.
The Feary surname is thought to be of English origin and is thus derived from the Norman de Ferrieres, a name for someone who comes from or lives near Ferrieres in Normandy. The Normans themselves were famous for leaving their legacy wherever they settled, and the Feary name is no exception. It is thought that the family first settled in England around the time of the Norman Conquest.
In the present day there are many descendants of the Feary surname. The name itself enjoys a certain amount of popularity in several parts of the Anglophone world and represents an interesting part of its many histories.
Variations of the surname Feary
Ferry is a surname of English and Irish origin, and is likely derived from the Old English words meaning "protector". The variants of the surname Feary include Farley, Fairy, Farly, Fairey, Farrey, Fearry and Fary.
In England, the surname is believed to have originated in the villages of Farley, Fairley, and Farleigh, located in Devon, Nottinghamshire, Wiltshire and Hampshire. It is generally thought that the name was derived from these villages as people relocated from them.
In Ireland, the name is more commonly thought to have originated in County Kerry, where the old Gaelic name O' Fhadhbha (meaning "descendant of the fair one") is the root source. From the Gaelic, it has become O'Fairy, Fairy, Feary, Farley and Farly.
In Scotland, the name can be found in a few locations such as Aberdeenshire, and then mainly on the islands of Scotland where it is thought to have been introduced by Norse settlers. The spelling in Scotland is usually Ferrie or Farie.
The surname Feary is still found in its various forms all over England, Ireland, Scotland and other parts of the world, particularly the former British colonies. It is a relatively common name, and appears in records as far back as the 12th century, making it one of the oldest surviving surnames in the English language.
Famous people with the name Feary
- James Feary: born 1941, British mathematician and infrared spectroscopist
- Bruce Feary: former President of The Summit Group, a marketing and consulting firm
- Gary Feary: British Earl Mountbatten Hospice chairman and businessman
- Emma Feary: British National Hunt horse racing jockey
- Connor Feary: former professional football player from Guiseley, Yorkshire
- Carolyn Feary: author and illustrator of children’s books
- Olivia Feary: British portrait painter
- Sean Feary: Senior Research Fellow in Astronomy at the University of Manchester
- Jeremy Feary: Australian Paralympic athlete
- Lewis Feary: footballer from Sheffield who made 33 appearances for Stockport County