NameCensus.

UK surname

Farquhar

Derived from the Gaelic "fearchar," meaning "dear one" or "beloved man," originally a first name that became hereditary.

In the 1881 census there were 2,334 people recorded with the Farquhar surname, ranking it #1,905 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,276, ranked #2,071, down from #1,905 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wick, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Buckie Central East, Buckie West and Mains of Buckie and Thurso West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Farquhar is 3,293 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.4%.

1881 census count

2,334

Ranked #1,905

Modern count

3,276

2016, ranked #2,071

Peak year

2014

3,293 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Farquhar had 2,334 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,905 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,276 in 2016, ranked #2,071.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,817 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Farquhar surname distribution map

The map shows where the Farquhar surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Farquhar surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Farquhar over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,592 #1,810
1861 historical 1,670 #1,715
1881 historical 2,334 #1,905
1891 historical 2,409 #1,951
1901 historical 2,817 #1,976
1911 historical 172 #16,408
1997 modern 3,033 #2,115
1998 modern 3,185 #2,109
1999 modern 3,206 #2,102
2000 modern 3,232 #2,080
2001 modern 3,170 #2,075
2002 modern 3,240 #2,076
2003 modern 3,200 #2,053
2004 modern 3,202 #2,048
2005 modern 3,198 #2,033
2006 modern 3,213 #2,032
2007 modern 3,173 #2,067
2008 modern 3,176 #2,081
2009 modern 3,230 #2,097
2010 modern 3,279 #2,116
2011 modern 3,232 #2,114
2012 modern 3,203 #2,104
2013 modern 3,255 #2,106
2014 modern 3,293 #2,098
2015 modern 3,285 #2,078
2016 modern 3,276 #2,071

Geography

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Where Farquhars are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wick, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Rathven. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Buckie Central East, Buckie West and Mains of Buckie, Thurso West, Caithness North East and Wick South. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Wick Caithness
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Rathven Banff

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Buckie Central East Moray
2 Buckie West and Mains of Buckie Moray
3 Thurso West Highland
4 Caithness North East Highland
5 Wick South Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Farquhar

These lists show first names that appear often with the Farquhar surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Farquhar

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Farquhar, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Farquhar surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Farquhar household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Farquhar is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Farquhar is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Farquhar falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Farquhar is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Farquhar, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Farquhar

The surname Farquhar has its origins in the Gaelic language, originally stemming from the Scottish Highlands. It is derived from the Gaelic words "fear" meaning "man" and "cuaire" meaning "pail or vessel". Together, the words transliterate to "man of the pail" or "brewer".

This surname first appeared in historical records around the 13th century, with a mention of a John Ferchor in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage renderings to King Edward I of England. The name is also found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1366, referring to a Donald Farchare.

The Farquhar surname is closely associated with the clans of the Scottish Highlands, particularly the Clan Farquharson. This clan traces its roots back to the 12th century and the area of Braemar in Aberdeenshire. The name Farquharson is believed to be a patronymic form of Farquhar.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Farquhar surname was Sir Walter Farquhar, a Scottish knight who lived in the 15th century. He fought alongside King James IV of Scotland at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. Another notable figure was Sir Robert Farquhar, a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Mauritius from 1810 to 1823.

In the 17th century, a prominent bearer of the name was Sir John Farquhar, a Scottish merchant and politician who served as the Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1677 to 1679. He was knighted by King Charles II in 1677.

The Farquhar surname also has a connection to literary history. George Farquhar (1678-1707) was an Irish playwright and satirist, known for his comedic works such as "The Beaux' Stratagem" and "The Recruiting Officer".

Another notable individual with this surname was Sir Walter Farquhar, 1st Baronet (1810-1891), a British doctor who served as the Physician-in-Ordinary to Queen Victoria. He was also a prolific writer on medical topics and was knighted in 1859.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Farquhar families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Farquhar surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Aberdeenshire leads with 519 Farquhars recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.66x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 519 24.66x
Lanarkshire 252 3.43x
Banffshire 239 50.69x
Angus 216 10.26x
Caithness 180 57.84x
Midlothian 135 4.43x
Morayshire 120 33.98x
Middlesex 85 0.37x
Ayrshire 81 4.76x
Renfrewshire 53 3.01x
Kincardineshire 47 16.98x
Fife 46 3.42x
Surrey 41 0.37x
Lancashire 33 0.12x
Perthshire 32 3.14x
Yorkshire 29 0.13x
Durham 23 0.34x
Monmouthshire 16 0.97x
Stirlingshire 15 1.79x
Warwickshire 13 0.23x
Cumberland 12 0.61x
Dunbartonshire 10 1.64x
Staffordshire 10 0.13x
Cheshire 9 0.18x
Inverness-shire 8 1.18x
Ross-shire 8 1.28x
Gloucestershire 7 0.16x
Leicestershire 7 0.28x
Sussex 7 0.18x
Essex 6 0.13x
Kinross-shire 6 10.44x
Royal Navy 6 2.22x
Brecknockshire 5 1.10x
Kirkcudbrightshire 5 1.52x
Shetland 5 2.15x
Somerset 5 0.14x
Northumberland 4 0.12x
Shropshire 4 0.20x
Hampshire 3 0.06x
Kent 3 0.04x
Nairnshire 3 4.32x
Buteshire 2 1.45x
Clackmannanshire 2 1.07x
Devon 2 0.04x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.40x
Hertfordshire 2 0.13x
Isle of Man 2 0.47x
Orkney 2 0.80x
Sutherland 2 1.14x
Argyllshire 1 0.16x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.07x
Norfolk 1 0.03x
Roxburghshire 1 0.24x
West Lothian 1 0.29x
Westmorland 1 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Rathven in Banffshire leads with 156 Farquhars recorded in 1881 and an index of 176.15x.

Place Total Index
Rathven 156 176.15x
Aberdeen Old Machar 125 28.44x
Wick 119 118.38x
Govan 96 5.28x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 78 19.81x
Dundee 73 9.29x
Barony 68 3.66x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 60 4.90x
Glasgow 43 3.29x
Drainie 40 127.88x
Riccarton 34 132.50x
New Deer 26 68.22x
Tyrie 26 98.41x
Elgin 22 32.02x
Kirriemuir 22 42.34x
Old Deer 22 55.15x
Brechin 21 25.38x
Echt 19 187.38x
Montrose 19 14.89x
West Greenock 19 6.01x
Gamrie 18 34.20x
Keith 18 35.81x
Everton 17 1.98x
New Cumnock 17 57.65x
Burntisland 16 42.53x
Neilston 16 18.10x
Aberdour 15 90.42x
Boyndie 15 96.09x
Carnwath 15 33.00x
New Spynie 15 118.02x
Newhills 15 34.80x
Dysart 14 15.45x
Lonmay 14 73.26x
Mile End Old Town London 14 2.89x
Reay 14 82.06x
Rothes 14 81.25x
Edinburgh Old 13 70.35x
Halkirk 13 61.76x
Liff Benvie 13 4.07x
Bower 12 95.77x
Cullen 12 68.69x
Fraserburgh 12 20.25x
Lambeth 12 0.61x
Perth East Church 12 12.48x
South Leith 12 3.50x
St Vigeans 12 10.56x
Bromley London 11 2.20x
Fordyce 11 32.43x
Kilmarnock 11 5.43x
Longside 11 43.76x
North Leith 11 7.81x
Strichen 11 60.14x
Thurso 11 22.66x
Bishopwearmouth 10 1.72x
Kensington London 10 0.79x
Latheron 10 19.21x
Aboyne 9 81.01x
Arbroath 9 12.90x
Banchory Ternan 9 37.61x
Birkenhead 9 2.25x
Cameron 9 115.24x
Fetteresso 9 20.75x
Insch 9 75.19x
Monymusk 9 99.78x
St Marylebone London 9 0.74x
Tullynessle Forbes 9 116.58x
Abergavenny 8 13.00x
Dunnichen 8 72.07x
Durris 8 101.01x
Ellon 8 27.63x
Fintray 8 99.50x
Fordoun 8 51.58x
Forfar 8 7.02x
Gateshead 8 1.58x
Kirkhill 8 69.44x
Pitsligo 8 39.76x
Port Glasgow 8 9.40x
Stainton 8 122.14x
Tain 8 33.84x
Turriff 8 23.54x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Farquhar surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 23
Margaret 12
Elizabeth 11
Ann 9
Sarah 7
Annie 6
Jane 6
Alice 5
Edith 4
Isabella 4
Amy 3
Emma 3
Jessie 3
Louisa 3
Agnes 2
Anna 2
Catherine 2
Eleanor 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Francis 2
Gertrude 2
Hannah 2
Helen 2
Isabel 2
Kate 2
Maggie 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Susan 2
Beatrice 1
Blance 1
Caroline 1
Catherin 1
Charlotte 1
Elisa 1
Elizth. 1
Esther 1
Flora 1
Frances 1
Georgina 1
Janet 1
Jean 1
Jeannie 1
Jennett 1
Julia 1
Kathleen 1
L. 1
Lacy 1
V.J.M. 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Farquhar surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
James 30
John 22
William 17
George 7
Alexander 6
Robert 6
Thomas 6
Henry 5
Alfred 4
Charles 4
Edward 3
Arthur 2
Daniel 2
Donald 2
Duncan 2
Geo. 2
Harry 2
Joseph 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Allan 1
Andrew 1
Antony 1
Clifford 1
David 1
Dermot 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Granville 1
Harrie 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Hurcules 1
I. 1
J.E.M. 1
Josh 1
Maggie 1
Patrick 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Samuel 1
Stanley 1
Stewart 1
Trevor 1
W.G. 1

FAQ

Farquhar surname: questions and answers

How common was the Farquhar surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,334 people were recorded with the Farquhar surname. That placed it at #1,905 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Farquhar surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,276 in 2016. That gives Farquhar a modern rank of #2,071.

What does the Farquhar surname mean?

Derived from the Gaelic "fearchar," meaning "dear one" or "beloved man," originally a first name that became hereditary.

What does the Farquhar map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Farquhar bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.