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

Farster, 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 Farster surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Farster in America

Farster is the 91981st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Farster surname appeared 200 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 Farster.

We can also compare 2010 data for Farster 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 Farster

The surname Farster originated in the Yorkshire region of England in the late 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "feor" meaning far and "stere" meaning steer or guide, suggesting the name may have been given to someone who worked as a guide or navigator over long distances.

One of the earliest known references to the name is in the Essex Feet of Fines records from 1292, which mentions a William Farster. The Hundred Rolls of 1275 also contain an entry for a Henry Farstere from Oxfordshire. These early spellings highlight the evolving nature of surnames during this period.

In the 14th century, the Farster name appeared in various records across northern England, including the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which listed a John Farster from Wakefield. Around this time, the name also began appearing in Scottish records, possibly due to migration or trade between the two regions.

One notable Farster was Sir Robert Farster, a knight and landowner from Northumberland who served as a member of Parliament in the early 15th century. He was born around 1380 and died in 1452. Another early example is William Farster, a merchant from York who was mentioned in the city's Guild records in the late 15th century.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name continued to be found in various parts of England, particularly in Yorkshire and the surrounding counties. One example is Thomas Farster, a farmer from Lincolnshire who was born in 1587 and died in 1662.

In the 18th century, the Farster name appeared in records from both England and Scotland. One notable individual was James Farster, a Scottish philosopher and writer who was born in Edinburgh in 1718 and died in 1795. His works explored various topics including ethics, aesthetics, and political philosophy.

Moving into the 19th century, the Farster surname remained relatively uncommon but continued to be found in various parts of the British Isles. One example is John Farster, an English poet and author who was born in Lancashire in 1835 and died in 1912. He published several collections of poetry and works of fiction during his lifetime.

Throughout its history, the Farster surname has maintained its connection to the Yorkshire region of England, where it first emerged. While not a widespread name, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, merchants, philosophers, and writers over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Farster

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

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

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

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