Find out how popular the last name Farish is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Farish.

Farish, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Farish surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Farish in America

Farish is the 20348th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Farish surname appeared 1,306 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Farish.

We can also compare 2010 data for Farish to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Farish

The surname Farish is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "fœrisċ," meaning "dweller by the firs or fir trees." It is believed to have originated in the 11th century or earlier, during the Anglo-Saxon period in England.

The name was initially concentrated in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where fir trees were abundant. It is likely that the earliest bearers of this name were individuals who lived near or in areas with significant fir tree growth.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Farish appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry referred to a landowner named "Fariscius" in the county of Yorkshire.

In the 13th century, the name was found in various spellings, including "Farys," "Farish," and "Farysh," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common during that time.

Notably, Sir John Farish (c. 1370-1444) was a prominent figure in the English wool trade and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1429 and 1430.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Thomas Farish (c. 1610-1671), an English clergyman and historian who served as the rector of Ecclesfield in Yorkshire and wrote a history of the area.

In the 18th century, Robert Farish (1736-1790) was a successful merchant and banker in London, known for his philanthropic efforts in supporting education and healthcare institutions.

Later, in the 19th century, William Farish (1819-1886) was a prominent businessman and philanthropist in Virginia, United States, who established several educational institutions and supported various charitable causes.

Lastly, Walter Farish (1904-1989) was a distinguished American businessman and philanthropist based in Houston, Texas, who made significant contributions to the fields of education, healthcare, and the arts.

While the surname Farish originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, as a result of migration and settlement patterns.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Farish

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Farish.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Farish was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Farish has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Farish was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Farish, please contact us.

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