UK surname
A topographic surname referring to someone living near a sandbank or sandhill.
In the 1881 census there were 43 people recorded with the Farson surname, ranking it #27,575 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 28, ranked #36,125, down from #27,575 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Bengeo, St Dunstan Stepney and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Farson is 111 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 34.9%.
1881 census count
43
Ranked #27,575
Modern count
28
2016, ranked #36,125
Peak year
1861
111 bearers
Map years
1
1861 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Farson surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Farson surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 26 | #28,667 |
| 1861 | historical | 111 | #19,429 |
| 1881 | historical | 43 | #27,575 |
| 1891 | historical | 83 | #26,376 |
| 1901 | historical | 37 | #30,009 |
| 1911 | historical | 32 | #29,838 |
| 1997 | modern | 27 | #35,016 |
| 1998 | modern | 27 | #35,148 |
| 1999 | modern | 27 | #35,224 |
| 2000 | modern | 24 | #35,498 |
| 2001 | modern | 21 | #35,646 |
| 2002 | modern | 22 | #35,709 |
| 2003 | modern | 26 | #35,371 |
| 2004 | modern | 26 | #35,519 |
| 2005 | modern | 24 | #35,827 |
| 2006 | modern | 20 | #36,254 |
| 2007 | modern | 22 | #36,213 |
| 2008 | modern | 25 | #36,072 |
| 2009 | modern | 28 | #35,988 |
| 2010 | modern | 25 | #36,273 |
| 2011 | modern | 23 | #36,369 |
| 2012 | modern | 24 | #36,288 |
| 2013 | modern | 25 | #36,276 |
| 2014 | modern | 27 | #36,180 |
| 2015 | modern | 27 | #36,173 |
| 2016 | modern | 28 | #36,125 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Bengeo, St Dunstan Stepney, Manchester, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Turville. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bengeo | Hertfordshire |
| 2 | St Dunstan Stepney | London (East Districts) |
| 3 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 4 | Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars | Leicestershire |
| 5 | Turville | Buckinghamshire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Farson surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Farson, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Farson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Farson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Farson is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Farson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Farson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Farson is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place name referring to a farm or settlement. One possibility is that it comes from the Old English words "fer" meaning far or distant, and "tun" meaning an enclosure or village, suggesting a remote or distant village.
Another theory is that Farson is a variant spelling of the name Farrington, which is derived from the place name Farrington in Lancashire, England. This name can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was recorded as "Farington." The name likely refers to the "tun" (village) of someone named Fara or a similar Old English personal name.
Some of the earliest recorded instances of the Farson surname can be found in parish records from the 16th and 17th centuries in various counties across England, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Northumberland. For example, the marriage of John Farson and Elizabeth Wayte was recorded in Beverley, Yorkshire, in 1567.
One notable individual with the Farson surname was Sir Samuel Farson (c.1570-1646), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1629. Another was William Farson (1675-1753), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the early 18th century.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Farson surname was in Virginia, where John Farson was listed as a landowner in Northampton County in the 1670s. Another early American with this surname was Thomas Farson (1738-1827), a soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
Other notable individuals with the Farson surname include Robert Farson (1835-1912), a British industrialist and philanthropist, and Negley Farson (1890-1960), an American writer and explorer who wrote several books about his travels in remote regions of the world.
While the Farson surname is not among the most common surnames, it has a long and interesting history, with roots stretching back to medieval England and various potential origins related to place names and Old English words.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Farson surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 27 Farsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.44x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 27 | 6.44x |
| Lancashire | 9 | 1.81x |
| Durham | 3 | 2.41x |
| Surrey | 2 | 0.98x |
| Essex | 1 | 1.21x |
| Gloucestershire | 1 | 1.22x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mile End Old Town London in Middlesex leads with 12 Farsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 134.53x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Mile End Old Town London | 12 | 134.53x |
| Shadwell London | 11 | 940.17x |
| Cheetham | 8 | 215.63x |
| Conside Knitsley | 3 | 309.28x |
| Camberwell | 2 | 7.47x |
| Whitechapel London | 2 | 48.43x |
| Clifton | 1 | 24.04x |
| Poplar London | 1 | 12.64x |
| St George Bloomsbury | 1 | 41.49x |
| West Derby | 1 | 6.87x |
| West Ham | 1 | 5.47x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Farson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Farson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Farson households.
FAQ
In 1881, 43 people were recorded with the Farson surname. That placed it at #27,575 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 28 in 2016. That gives Farson a modern rank of #36,125.
A topographic surname referring to someone living near a sandbank or sandhill.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Farson bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.