Farrar
Likely a surname for a farrier, though some early scholars also connected it with “fair hair.”
The #2,434 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 20,732 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The most likely explanation is that Farrar is an occupational surname from Old French ferrer, meaning to shoe horses or work as a farrier. In medieval records it can appear as forms related to Ferrer, and later spelling shift made Farrar a common English variant. Some 19th-century writers also suggested a link with a nickname meaning “fair-haired,” but that is usually treated as secondary or less likely.
History
The name is well attested in medieval English records, and its spelling varied widely over time, including Farrer and Ferrer. Older surname writers sometimes argued over whether the name belonged with occupational farrier names or with nicknames for blond or fair-haired people. In practice, modern reference works usually treat Farrar chiefly as an occupational surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A Norfolk cleric recorded in 1555 was called John Fayrhawr, alias Farrar, showing how unstable the spelling could be in early records.
From the historical record
“or Bertram, which I doubt. FARRAR. FARRER. Probably a corruption of Fair-hair, answering to Le Blond, Harfager, &c. In the H.R. we have Fayrher. In a document of the year 1555, a Norfolk incumbent is called John Fayrhawr, alias Farrar. Blomefield's Nor- folk, vii. 286. 2. Perhaps another form of Ferrers. FARRELL.…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom