2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Farer
One who travels or journeys, potentially referring to an adventurous ancestor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Farer. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Farer surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Farer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Farer, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Farer
The surname FARER is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the county of Yorkshire. It is derived from the Old English word "farere," which means "traveler" or "wayfarer." This suggests that the name was initially bestowed upon individuals who were known for their propensity to travel or wander.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name FARER can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Willelmus Farer, indicating the presence of the surname in Yorkshire during the 11th century.
In the 13th century, historical records from the city of York mention a prominent figure named Robert Farer, who served as a alderman and was involved in local governance. This provides evidence of the name's continued presence in the region during the medieval period.
During the 16th century, the FARER surname appears to have spread to other parts of England, with records indicating individuals bearing the name in counties such as Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. One notable individual from this era was Thomas Farer, born in 1542 in Gloucestershire, who was a renowned scholar and theologian.
In the 17th century, the FARER surname gained further prominence with the birth of John Farer (1622-1689), a respected lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in England. His legal expertise and contributions to the English judicial system solidified the name's standing in the country's history.
Another notable figure bearing the FARER surname was William Farer (1718-1798), a renowned explorer and cartographer. He is renowned for his detailed maps of the Arctic regions and his contributions to the field of geography during the Age of Exploration.
Throughout the centuries, the FARER surname has been associated with various professions, from academics and legal experts to explorers and adventurers. While the name's origins can be traced back to Yorkshire, its legacy has transcended geographical boundaries, leaving an indelible mark on various aspects of British history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Farer
Among Census respondents with the surname Farer, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Farer bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Farer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.0% · 85
- Hispanic or Latino14.7% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.7% · 4
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Farer
Farer appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+6 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,029 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.8%) | Up 7,029 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Farer surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #157,234 | #150,205 | 4.5% |
| Count | 103 | 109 | 5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 21.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Farer bearers went from 103 to 109 (+5.8% change). The surname moved up 7,029 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #150,205.
FAQ
Farer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Farer?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Farer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Farer?
Farer ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 109 people with the surname Farer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Farer.
Has Farer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Farer went from 103 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 6 (+5.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Farer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Farer, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Farer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.0% (85 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Farer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.0%), Hispanic (14.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Farer (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Farer mean?
One who travels or journeys, potentially referring to an adventurous ancestor. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Farer (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Farer?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.