Fern is used as a family name or surname in Scotland. It is 4 characters long in length.

Family Name / Last Name: Fern
No. of characters: 4
Origin: Scotland
Meaning:

Fern is variation of Ferne. Perhaps from the Farne is lands on the Durham coast, anciently written Ferne.

A variant form of the Farnes. Anglo-Saxon fernes; a desert or wilderness.

The surname Fern is the variation of the Fairn. Parishes in counties Ross and Forfar.

The form of the Arn. The initial syllable of many local names, as Arncliffe, Arnwood, Arney, Arnholt, meaning respectively the cliff, the wood, the island, and the grove of eagles, from the Anglo-Saxon erne, an eagle. Occasionally, however, it may be derived from arn, the Scottish for an alder tree.

One who came from Fearn meaning "alder tree," in Scotland; dweller by an alder tree.

Fern is the variation of Farn. The first syllable of several local surnames is the Anglo-Saxon frurn, fern, from the abundant growth of that plant. Hence Farnaby, Farnfold, Farnham, Farnwell, Farncombe, Farnsworth, Farndell, Farnden, Fernwold, Fernland. An island on the Northumberland coast.

Fern is the variant of Fearn. A parish in Ross-shire, and another in Forfarshire.

How popular is Fern?

Fern is common in United States, England, Malaysia, Australia, Canada, Taiwan, Germany, Scotland, Israel.

Fern is ranked 62273 on our list.

As per 2010 US census, number of Ferns plummeted by 4.76 per cent to 2482 since 2000 and slipped by 1325 spots and ranked at 12491. The last name was found in around 8 per million population. Please refer to following table for race and ethnicity.

Race 2010 2000
White 88.36 90.06
Hispanic or Latino 6.45 4.45
Asian and Native Hawaiian
& Other Pacific Islander		 2.5 2.34
Others 1.53 1.42
Black 0.81 1.5
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.36 0.23
Fern is quite popular family name mostly used in United States however United States Virgin Islands is ahead in terms of density. Around 8064 people have been found who wears Fern as their family name. Fern is used widely across the globe. More detailed information can be found below:
RankCountryCount
Countries with thousands of Fern:
10,489 United States3,879
4,159 England1,792
Countries with hundreds of Fern:
5,893 Malaysia351
9,655 Australia324
12,601 Canada308
975 Taiwan234
35,529 Germany214
2,857 Scotland203
9,226 Israel113
Countries with low frequency i.e., 50 - 100:
8,201 New Zealand89
218,299 India63
4,823 Wales59
Countries with very low frequency i.e., 10 - 50:
8,706 Portugal47
213,663 Thailand43
6,278 Singapore39
81,435 South Africa33
12,684 Slovenia20
236,959 Brazil18
224,666 France18
301,506 Russia17
63,384 Spain16
6,804 Northern Ireland16
40,624 Switzerland14
197,164 Philippines13
25,625 United Arab Emirates12
26,891 Qatar12
78,311 Netherlands11
Countries with very very low frequency i.e., 6 - 10:
83,699 Kazakhstan10
92,692 Belgium8
168,491 Argentina8
Show Full Last Name Distribution

Immigrants to US

From Ireland

During the great famine, 18 years old dressmaker Betsy Fern who was residing in Ireland migrated to USA on July 18, 1851 by E. Buckley put out from Liverpool. Michael Fern, aged 26, 30 years old Samuel Fern, 24 years old John Fern, James Fern, Peggy Fern, aged 60, are others that migrated to US.

From Germany

Carol. Fern hailed from Bavaria. 31 years old embarked for New York from Havre on Switzerland and arrived on June 7, 1855. 31 years old Math. Fern, 34 years old Christian Fern, Stefan Fern (18) Laborer, Farmer Catherine Fern, 32 years old Conrad Fern, 21 years old Jacob Fern, Heinr. Fern (26) Coachman, 24 years old Joh. Fern, and 14 other Fern around 38.89% of whom were farmer while others worked as laborer migrated to US from Havre, Bremen, Antwerp, Falmouth & Havre, Hamburg & Havre and Liverpool & Queenstown.

Fern Namesakes

  • Fritzi Fern, motion picture actress from Akron, Ohio
  • Joseph J. Fern, first Mayor of Honolulu from 1909 to 1915 and again
  • Fanny Fern, American novelist, children's writer, humorist
  • Charles Fern, University of California
  • Charlie Fern, American speechwriter, business owner

Fern Namesakes

  • Fritzi Fern, motion picture actress from Akron, Ohio
  • Joseph J. Fern, first Mayor of Honolulu from 1909 to 1915 and again
  • Fanny Fern, American novelist, children's writer, humorist
  • Charles Fern, University of California
  • Charlie Fern, American speechwriter, business owner

Related Family Names: