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

Farnam, 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 Farnam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Farnam in America

Farnam is the 28333rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Farnam surname appeared 843 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 Farnam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Farnam 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 Farnam

The surname Farnam has its origins in Old English, derived from the words "fearn" meaning fern and "ham" meaning homestead or village. It is believed to have originated in England during the 8th or 9th century AD, referring to individuals who resided in a settlement or hamlet near a fern-covered area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Farnam can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This mention suggests the presence of individuals bearing this surname in various parts of England during the Norman conquest.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the surname appeared in various spellings such as Fernham, Fernhame, and Fernehame, reflecting the regional variations and evolution of language over time. Notably, the village of Farnham in Surrey, England, is believed to have derived its name from the same Old English roots as the surname Farnam.

Among the notable individuals who carried the Farnam surname, one can mention Sir Henry Farnam (1553-1633), a prominent English lawyer and member of Parliament during the reign of Elizabeth I. Another example is John Farnam (1701-1776), an American colonial farmer and landowner who played a role in the early settlement of Connecticut.

In the literary world, the Farnam name is associated with Eliza Rotch Farnam (1842-1914), an American poet and educator whose works were widely published in the late 19th century. Meanwhile, in the field of academia, Henry Walcott Farnam (1853-1933) was a renowned economist and professor at Yale University, making significant contributions to the study of economic theory and history.

Lastly, the Farnam surname has also been carried by individuals in the military, such as Brigadier General Henry Franklin Farnam (1857-1933), who served in the United States Army and played a crucial role in the Spanish-American War and World War I.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Farnam

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

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 Farnam 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 Farnam 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 Farnam was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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