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

Farnan, 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 Farnan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Farnan in America

Farnan is the 24762nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Farnan surname appeared 1,006 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 Farnan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Farnan 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 Farnan

The surname Farnan is believed to have originated in Ireland, with the earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be an Anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic surname Ó Fairnáin, which means "descendant of Fairnán." Fairnán was an ancient Irish personal name derived from the word "fairne," meaning "alder tree."

The Farnan name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Meath and Louth, located in the eastern part of Ireland. Records show that the Farnans were a prominent family in these areas, with many members holding positions of authority and influence within their local communities.

One of the earliest documented references to the Farnan name can be found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of administrative records from the reigns of Henry VIII and his successors. These records mention several individuals with the surname Farnan, including Patrick Farnan, who was granted lands in County Meath in 1564.

Another notable early record is the Ulster Plantation Grants of 1610-1613, which lists a John Farnan among the English and Scottish settlers who were granted lands in Ulster as part of King James I's plantation scheme. This suggests that some members of the Farnan family may have migrated from their traditional homeland in the east to the northern province of Ulster during this period.

In the 17th century, a prominent figure named Patrick Farnan (c. 1640-1705) was a member of the Irish Jacobite forces and fought for King James II during the Williamite War in Ireland (1689-1691). He was later attainted for his involvement in the war and had his lands confiscated.

During the 18th century, the Farnan name appeared in various records, including the Hearth Money Rolls of 1665-1667, which list several individuals with the surname in County Meath. In 1766, a Thomas Farnan (c. 1710-1786) was appointed as the High Sheriff of County Louth, a position of considerable importance at the time.

In more recent times, notable individuals with the Farnan surname include William Farnan (1826-1880), an Irish politician and member of the United Kingdom Parliament for County Meath, and John Farnan (1885-1957), an Australian rules footballer who played for Carlton Football Club in the early 20th century.

Overall, the Farnan surname has a rich history rooted in the Irish counties of Meath and Louth, with records dating back to the 16th century. Although the name has spread to other parts of the world, its origins can be traced back to the ancient Irish personal name Fairnán and the Gaelic word "fairne," meaning "alder tree."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Farnan

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

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

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

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