The Farnham surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,757 people carried this name — #7,038 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 62,100 people counted. That is up 1% from 4,723 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Farnham surname

A habitational surname from Old English.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Farnham» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Farnham’.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 282 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

127 families named Farnham, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 725 people lived in those households, 5.7 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 4 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 41
Connecticut 29
New Hampshire 27
Maine 19
Vermont 8
Rhode Island 3

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 239 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Farnham in American newspapers,
1883–1916.

Newspaper page from The Daily Ardmoreite carrying the name Farnham
The Daily Ardmoreite 1902-11-11
Newspaper page from The Daytona Daily News carrying the name Farnham
The Daytona Daily News 1916-01-15
Newspaper page from The Grant County Herald carrying the name Farnham
The Grant County Herald 1883-01-19

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 102,414 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Farnham in Australian newspapers,
1840s–2000s.

3,109 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Farnham. The most, 650, date from the 1910s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Tasmania, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,446
South Australia 364
Victoria 346
Queensland 329
Tasmania 315
Western Australia 240
ACT (Canberra) 56
Northern Territory 3

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Farnham.

Who carried it

People named Farnham,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Nicholas Farnham d. 1257 · Catholic priest
  • Catherine Farnham d. 1621
  • Miriam Sophia Farnham d. 1919
  • Elizabeth Farnham d. 1666
  • Humphrey Farnham d. 1620
  • Thomas Farnham 1527–1562 · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Farnham,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States574 records

574 records of the Farnham name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 215
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 104
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 99
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 87
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 38
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 23
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 3
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 3
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 2
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Herman E. Farnham

    Born 1913 in Massachusetts. Enlisted 1943 at Santa Fe, New Mexico; locomotive fireman. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1978, buried at Santa Fe National Cemetery, New Mexico.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Robert Dale Farnham

    Born 1949; from Algona, Iowa. U.S. Army, armor crewman; killed in action 1970 in Chau Doc, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Farnham

    Arrived at New York in 1857 aboard the Switzerland from Liverpool, aged 25; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 574 records for Farnham in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia78 records

78 records of the Farnham name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 33
  • Tasmanian Names Index 22
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 13
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 9
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 1
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Elizabeth Farnham

    Died 1926 in Smithton, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1927.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Thomas Farnham

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Hayeston, arriving 1816; certificate of freedom 1823.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Wm Farnham

    Arrived in Victoria in 1886 aboard the Arabic, aged 26; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 78 records for Farnham in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada61 records

61 records of the Farnham name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 58
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 3
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Cathernen Warne Farnham

    Died 1955 in Digby, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record John Arlo Farnham

    Died in service in 1943.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Lavinia Farnham

    Married 1862 in Digby, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 61 records for Farnham in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

United Kingdom13 records

13 records of the Farnham name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 12
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Farnham

    Buried in 1804 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 68.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record R. P. Farnham

    Lancashxre Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record C. Farnham

    Corporal, Dorsetshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 13 records for Farnham in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France1 record

1 record of the Farnham name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Theodore Farnham

    Born 1929 in the United States; died 1999 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Farnham name in the Netherlands Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Daniel Farnham

    Died 1824 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Farnham.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Farnham is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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