Surname Feries - Meaning and Origin

Feries: What does the surname Feries mean?

The origin of the surname FERIES can be traced back to Ireland where it is derived from the Gaelic Ó Fearghusa, a patronymic form of Fearghas. This means ‘man of wrath’ or ‘man of vigour’ in Old Irish and originally the name referred to someone who was distinguished in battle. The name was common in medieval Ireland and was found in various parts of the country including Ulster and Counties Cork and Kerry.

The surname FERIES is found spread throughout the British Isles, particularly in Scotland, and is believed to originate from the Scottish-English border area in the 17th century. It is likely to have been adopted by Irish Gaelic speaking migrants who moved from southern Ireland to Scotland in search of a better life.

The FERIES surname is still commonly used today. It is believed that there are approximately 2,250 individuals bearing the name today, the majority of whom are found in Canada, USA and the United Kingdom. It is also still found in its place of origin, Ireland, and the majority of the families with the name can trace their ancestry back to the 16th century.

Feries: Where does the name Feries come from?

The last name FERIES is most commonly found today in the United States, particularly in the Southern tier of states stretching from Louisiana to Florida. This name is of English origin, and records of the FERIES family in the United States can be traced back to the mid 17th century when the family first settled in the Eastern states.

From there, the FERIES family spread south, and by the late 18th century they had become well established in many locations throughout the South, with strong populations in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas.

Today, the FERIES family remains concentrated in these same Southern States, with most of the total population in the United States claimed to reside in these states. In addition, the name FERIES has spread to many of the other countries and regions in which Americans have settled, including Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean Islands.

The usage of the surname FERIES is still popular today, with the 2010 US Census recording more than 6,000 households in the country bearing the surname. Although this is a relatively small number of households in comparison to many other surnames, it nonetheless indicates the continued presence of the FERIES family in the US throughout the centuries since its first arrival in the United States.

Variations of the surname Feries

Feries is a surname of English, Irish, Scottish and French origin that can have multiple variants, spellings and related names.

Some of the variants are Faries, Faeries, Fairy, Fairey, Fary, Farye, Feris, Fereis, Faris, Fearis, Fereys, Feyris, Ferres and Farees.

In England, Faries was used primarily in Lancashire. In Scotland, Faeries was used mainly in the area of Renfrewshire. In Ireland, the name spread more evenly throughout the country, with Fairy and Faries being the most frequent spellings.

In France, variations developed from the French spelling 'Fairey.' The spelling 'Fary' is most common in Normandy, while 'Ferres' is used in both Brittany and Basse-Normandie.

In addition to these variants, related surnames include O'Fary, O'Ferries, Furies, Faireys, Feery, Farris, Ferre, Fedras, Farras, Fear, Farrow and Fairer.

The meanings of some of the variations of the surname Feries include 'Fairy', denoting a mythological race of supernatural beings, 'Farr', meaning 'a miller or grinder', 'Fairey', meaning 'a maker of swords', and 'Farras', meaning 'relating to the mind.'

Famous people with the name Feries

• Ingrid Von Friesen: Canadian journalist and former CBC news anchor
• Paul Friesen: Canadian historian and author
• Pete Friesen: Canadian musician and songwriter
• Garret Friesen: Canadian scientist and environmentalist
• Kathleen Friesen: Canadian politician and Member of Parliament
• Paul Ferris: Scottish author, broadcaster and political activist
• Richard Ferrie: Canadian academic and university professor
• Joe Ferri: Canadian lawyer and prominent human rights advocate
• Devan Friesen: Canadian professional ice hockey player
• Jennie Friesen: Canadian country singer, songwriter and author

Other surnames

FerierFeriers