Surname O'Farley - Meaning and Origin
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O'Farley: What does the surname O'Farley mean?
The last name O'Farley is an Irish surname meaning "son of Farley." Farley itself is an Anglo-Norman name derived from two Old French elements, fer, meaning "journey," and lei, meaning "meadow." Put together, Farley means "journey meadow."
The O'Farley surname originates from a branch of the Ffarrell sept of County Longford. Variations of this name include O'Farrelly, O'Ferrall, Ffarrell, and Farley. The O'Farrell's were one of the US High Kings of Ireland in the 13th century, and are known to have lived in Clonmacnoise in County Roscommon.
Today, many O'Farley families can be found in Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. However, due to immigration and relocation, there are now O'Farley families living in many parts of the world.
The O'Farley last name has a rich history of proud warriors, influential leaders, and prominent business owners. It is a proud and honored surname that continues to be passed down from generation to generation.
Order DNA origin analysisO'Farley: Where does the name O'Farley come from?
The last name O’Farley is found predominately in Ireland and parts of the United Kingdom. There is evidence that the Irish surname O’Farley has roots in County Mayo in the west of Ireland. The name is a derivative of the Gaelic Ó Fearghaile which is translated as 'descendant of Fearghal', an ancient Gaelic personal or given name.
In England, O'Farley is recorded in limited numbers, possibly due to immigration from Ireland during the 19th and 20th centuries. Those bearing the last name in England more likely than not trace their roots to the Irish surname.
Today, in the United States, O'Farley is quite rare, but can still be found throughout the country. It has even been recorded in some of the more isolated areas of the United States such as Alaska. This could be due to several waves of Irish immigrants who arrived in the United States during the 19th century.
However, the name is far more common in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland than anywhere else. In the Republic of Ireland, the name O'Farley accounted for 0.110% of all births in 2018. In Northern Ireland, the name O'Farley accounted for 0.074% of all births in 2015.
So overall, O'Farley is still a relatively rare name but is particularly common in Ireland and regions of the United Kingdom.
Variations of the surname O'Farley
The surname O'Farley has many variations ranging from O'Farrell, Farley and Farrall to Farully and O'Faherty.
The traditional Irish form of the surname, O'Fearghaill, is derived from the Irish personal name Fearghal. The surname originated in the province of Connacht, particularly in counties Galway and Mayo, but also in counties Roscommon and Clare. The anglicised surname was shortened to O'Farley, O'Farrelly and O'Farrell.
The O'Farrell variant is more commonly found in North America and the UK and is thought to have originated when some Irish families emigrated during the 19th century. This variant tends to include more spellings than the Irish version and can also be found as Farrell, Farley, Farral, Farrel, Felrath, Foral, Pharrell and Pharrall.
In addition, there are some regional variants of the O'Farley surname in Ireland including Farrally in Counties Kilkenny and Tipperary, Farroe in County Clare and Far___ in County Limerick.
The O'Faherty variant is believed to have stemmed from families who moved from Galway to greater Dublin in the mid-1600s. The spelling variation is more commonly found in Scotland, where famous Scottish Clan names such as MacFarlane, MacFadyen, MacFeatherstone and MacFerly originate from O'Faherty.
In conclusion, the surname O'Farley is one of the most widely used across Ireland and can be found in various forms as O'Farrell, Farley, Farral, O'Faherty, Farrally, Farroe, Far___, Farrell, Farrel, Felrath, Foral, Pharrell and Pharrall.
Famous people with the name O'Farley
- Pierce O'Farrell: an Irish soldier who served in the 17th century
- Kristin O'Farrell: an American architect and urban planner
- William E. O'Farrell: U.S. Representative from the state of Massachusetts in the late 19th century
- Robert O'Farrell: Australian politician, statesman, and adventurer in the late 19th century
- Lola O'Farrell: Irish actress and musician
- Arthur O'Farrell: a prominent Australian bushranger in the mid-19th century
- Larry O'Farrell: a Canadian artist in the early 20th century
- Father Brian O'Farrell: a Catholic priest from Ireland
- Michael O'Farrell: an American politician and bank president in the early 20th century
- Sister Mary O'Farrell: an Irish missionary and Sister of Mercy in South Africa