Farryn
A variant of the Irish name Fionnúir meaning "fair-haired, white".
Name Census estimates that about 261 living Americans carry the first name Farryn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Farryn today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Farryn births was 2017 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Farryn. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
261
~ 1 in 1,313,235 Americans
Peak year
2017
24 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,016
Tracked since 1985
Popularity
Farryn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Farryn from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 159 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Farryn by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Farryn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Farryn
The name Farryn is believed to have its origins in the ancient Celtic language, specifically the Brythonic branch which was spoken in what is now Wales, Cornwall, and parts of England. The name is thought to be derived from the Old Welsh word "fferyn," meaning "wanderer" or "traveler."
In the early medieval period, the name was likely used as a descriptive term or a nickname for individuals who were known to roam or journey frequently. As time passed, it transitioned from a descriptive term to a given name in its own right.
While there are no definitive records of the name appearing in ancient texts or religious scriptures, some scholars suggest that it may have been used in early Welsh bardic poetry or oral traditions, reflecting the nomadic lifestyle of some Celtic tribes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Farryn dates back to the 12th century, when it was borne by a Welsh nobleman named Farryn ap Rhys (born around 1150). He was a prominent figure in the conflicts between the Welsh princes and the Norman invaders during that turbulent period.
Another notable figure with the name Farryn was an Irish poet and bard who lived in the late 16th century. Farryn Ó Buachaill (1560-1635) was renowned for his poetic works that celebrated the traditions and culture of the Gaelic Irish.
In the 17th century, a Scottish explorer named Farryn McLeod (1620-1690) gained fame for his expeditions to the Arctic regions and his detailed accounts of the indigenous peoples he encountered.
Jumping ahead to the 19th century, Farryn Griffith (1835-1912) was a Welsh-American businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the coal mining industry in Pennsylvania.
More recently, Farryn Williams (1901-1988) was a notable Welsh author and playwright, known for her works that explored the experiences of working-class families in industrial Wales.
These examples illustrate the enduring presence of the name Farryn throughout various historical periods and cultures, reflecting its Celtic origins and the diverse paths taken by those who have borne this distinctive moniker.
People
Farryn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Farryn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Farryn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Farryn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 261 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Farryn going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,313,235 US residents.
Is Farryn a common name?
We classify Farryn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 77.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 265 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Farryn most popular?
The single biggest year for Farryn was 2017, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Farryn is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Farryn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Farryn in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.