NameCensus.

UK surname

Farren

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Fuaráin, meaning "descendant of Fuarán," derived from "fuar" meaning "cold."

In the 1881 census there were 607 people recorded with the Farren surname, ranking it #5,775 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,407, ranked #4,332, up from #5,775 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Copeland, Paisley Central and Chichester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Farren is 1,421 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 131.8%.

1881 census count

607

Ranked #5,775

Modern count

1,407

2016, ranked #4,332

Peak year

2010

1,421 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Farren had 607 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,775 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,407 in 2016, ranked #4,332.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 884 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Farren surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Farren surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Farren 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 488 #5,116
1861 historical 470 #5,522
1881 historical 607 #5,775
1891 historical 768 #5,205
1901 historical 846 #5,379
1911 historical 884 #5,037
1997 modern 1,343 #4,283
1998 modern 1,350 #4,408
1999 modern 1,337 #4,477
2000 modern 1,312 #4,534
2001 modern 1,298 #4,487
2002 modern 1,342 #4,461
2003 modern 1,355 #4,332
2004 modern 1,349 #4,355
2005 modern 1,327 #4,363
2006 modern 1,321 #4,390
2007 modern 1,341 #4,379
2008 modern 1,343 #4,397
2009 modern 1,370 #4,400
2010 modern 1,421 #4,356
2011 modern 1,364 #4,449
2012 modern 1,373 #4,372
2013 modern 1,408 #4,349
2014 modern 1,419 #4,346
2015 modern 1,416 #4,323
2016 modern 1,407 #4,332

Geography

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Where Farrens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Copeland, Paisley Central, Chichester and Keith and Fife Keith. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a Essex
3 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
4 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Copeland 008 Copeland
2 Copeland 004 Copeland
3 Paisley Central Renfrewshire
4 Chichester 003 Chichester
5 Keith and Fife Keith Moray

Forenames

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First names often paired with Farren

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Farren

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Farren, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Farren surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Farren household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Farren 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

Farren is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Farren falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Farren 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Farren

The surname Farren originated in Ireland and has its roots in the Gaelic language. It is thought to have derived from the Irish Gaelic word "fearann," which means "land" or "territory." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who owned or was associated with a particular piece of land or estate.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Farren surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. In this text, the name is spelled "O'Fearanainn," which translates to "descendant of Fearann."

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Farren surname was prevalent in the counties of Sligo and Mayo in the western province of Connacht. It is likely that the name originated in this region and later spread to other parts of Ireland.

Notable individuals bearing the Farren surname include:

1. William Farren (1786-1861), an Irish actor and theatre manager who was a prominent figure in the early 19th century London stage. 2. Nellie Farren (1848-1904), an English music hall performer and actress, known for her roles in popular Victorian burlesque productions. 3. Michael Farren (1899-1962), an Irish Republican Army officer and politician who served as a member of the Irish parliament (Dáil Éireann) from 1923 to 1927. 4. Richard Farren (born 1948), an American actor and director best known for his work in television shows like "NYPD Blue" and "The West Wing." 5. James Farren (1821-1892), an Irish-born Australian surveyor and explorer who played a significant role in mapping and exploring parts of Western Australia in the 19th century.

While the Farren surname has its origins in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia, due to Irish emigration and settlement in these regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Farren families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Farren 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. Lancashire leads with 98 Farrens recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.39x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 98 1.39x
Middlesex 79 1.33x
Warwickshire 66 4.41x
Essex 50 4.27x
Surrey 41 1.42x
Northamptonshire 36 6.45x
Leicestershire 33 5.02x
Cumberland 29 5.68x
Cambridgeshire 25 6.66x
Hampshire 17 1.40x
Worcestershire 17 2.19x
Kent 16 0.79x
Yorkshire 13 0.22x
Gloucestershire 11 0.95x
Westmorland 11 8.44x
Durham 8 0.45x
Lanarkshire 8 0.42x
Renfrewshire 7 1.52x
Staffordshire 7 0.35x
Norfolk 5 0.55x
Sussex 5 0.50x
Cheshire 4 0.31x
Hertfordshire 4 0.98x
Derbyshire 3 0.32x
Midlothian 3 0.38x
Northumberland 3 0.34x
Lincolnshire 2 0.21x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.25x
Berkshire 1 0.22x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.63x
East Lothian 1 1.27x
Royal Navy 1 1.41x
Somerset 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 32 Farrens recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.09x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 32 17.09x
Coventry Holy Trinity 26 58.22x
St Pancras London 18 3.77x
Dalton In Furness 16 58.89x
St Andrewthe Great 16 329.22x
Lambeth 15 2.90x
Colchester St Mary At 14 337.35x
Little Weldon 13 1413.04x
Middleton Cheney 13 534.98x
Leicester St Margaret 12 7.48x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 11 10.04x
Coventry St Michael 11 22.89x
Rotherhithe 11 15.01x
Colchester St Botolph 10 100.40x
Livesey 10 80.97x
Aston 9 2.19x
Carlton 9 1607.14x
Hackney London 9 2.71x
Haughton 9 87.63x
Impington 8 987.65x
Muncaster 8 733.95x
West Ham 8 3.10x
Bedhampton 7 486.11x
Bilton 7 202.90x
Drigg Carleton 7 608.70x
Egremont 7 57.47x
Kendal 7 29.34x
Preston 7 3.72x
Shoreditch London 7 2.72x
Stoke 7 237.29x
Kings Norton 6 8.64x
Leyton Low 6 25.21x
Liverpool 6 1.40x
Middle Greenock 6 47.85x
St Luke London 6 6.31x
Worcester St Peter 6 40.93x
Barony 5 1.03x
Battersea 5 2.29x
Clerkenwell London 5 3.57x
Colchester St Martin 5 233.64x
Deptford St Paul 5 3.20x
Dodderhill 5 151.52x
Elland Cum Greetland 5 18.88x
Floore 5 239.23x
Gateshead 5 3.78x
Islington London 5 0.87x
Market Bosworth 5 210.97x
St Andrew Holborn London 5 19.47x
Alverstoke 4 9.09x
Atherstone 4 52.36x
Barking 4 11.68x
Camberwell 4 1.06x
Habergham Eaves 4 6.22x
Harborne 4 6.23x
Minster In Sheppey 4 11.93x
Oldham 4 1.76x
St Cuthbert Within 4 67.57x
Tottenham 4 4.23x
Walpole St Peter 4 173.16x
Chipping Barnet 3 41.96x
Earl Shilton 3 209.79x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 0.94x
Kirkdale 3 2.53x
Nether Hallam 3 3.77x
Thrapston 3 107.14x
Bethnal Green London 2 0.78x
Chesterfield 2 5.75x
Darlington 2 2.94x
Erith 2 10.03x
Glasgow 2 0.59x
Hornsey 2 2.67x
Hyde 2 5.18x
Leicester St Nicholas 2 53.76x
Manchester 2 0.63x
Sheffield 2 1.07x
St Giles In Fields London 2 6.87x
St Gilesin Fields London 2 39.84x
Steep 2 163.93x
Tynemouth 2 4.23x
Wolverhampton 2 1.30x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 51
Elizabeth 24
Sarah 19
Jane 15
Annie 13
Ann 12
Alice 10
Ellen 9
Clara 6
Hannah 6
Margaret 6
Emily 5
Emma 5
Agnes 4
Edith 4
Eliza 4
Gertrude 4
Harriet 4
Kate 4
Maria 4
Martha 4
Rose 4
Bridget 3
Catherine 3
Charlotte 3
Eleanor 3
Elizth. 3
Florence 3
Frances 3
Rebecca 3
Susan 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Bessie 2
Betsy 2
Caroline 2
Ethel 2
Grace 2
Harriett 2
Isabella 2
Jessie 2
Julia 2
Laura 2
Louisa 2
Nellie 2
Rosina 2
Amy 1
Betty 1
E.A. 1
Infant 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 34
John 33
James 29
Thomas 20
Joseph 16
George 14
Henry 14
Charles 13
Samuel 10
Herbert 5
Robert 5
Albert 3
Alexander 3
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
Edward 3
Frank 3
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
Michael 2
Richard 2
Tom 2
Walter 2
Bernard 1
Cornelius 1
Daniel 1
David 1
E. 1
Earnest 1
Edmund 1
Elizabeth 1
Enon 1
Ephrim 1
Fanny 1
Francis 1
Fred. 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.Geo. 1
G. 1
Hugh 1
Isaac 1
Jas. 1
Jno. 1
Joshua 1
Martin 1
Montagu 1
Moses 1
Nathaniel 1
Patrick 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Farren surname: questions and answers

How common was the Farren surname in 1881?

In 1881, 607 people were recorded with the Farren surname. That placed it at #5,775 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Farren surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,407 in 2016. That gives Farren a modern rank of #4,332.

What does the Farren surname mean?

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Fuaráin, meaning "descendant of Fuarán," derived from "fuar" meaning "cold."

What does the Farren map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Farren 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.