Fun Facts About the Name Farnum
- 6 babies named Farnum: U.S. records list 6 babies given the name Farnum from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Farnum Mean?
Farnum is an English surname meaning 'homestead where ferns grow,' most often explained as a variant spelling of Farnham, a habitational name from one or more places in England. The place name goes back to Old English fearn, 'fern,' with a second element usually identified as hām, 'homestead, estate, village.' Some treatments of Farnham take the second element as hamm, 'enclosure, river meadow,' giving 'ferny enclosure'; the precise place-name formation is uncertain, but the fern element is not. Farnum is a surname used as a given name, not an inherited Old English personal name.
Farnum Name History & Origins
The place name behind Farnum is older than the surname spelling. Farnham in Surrey, one of the places that could lie behind the surname, appears in Domesday Book as Ferneham; its first element is Old English fearn, 'fern,' the same element found in several English places called Farnham. A person identified by such a place name could pass it on as a hereditary surname, and Farnum is generally treated as a spelling variant, with the unstressed final syllable reduced in speech and the spelling altered accordingly.
English local surnames were not fixed in spelling until after the Middle Ages, so Farnham, Farnam, and Farnum belong to the same broad surname group. The surname was carried to North America by English colonists, and the Farnum spelling is one of the forms that became established there. As a first name, Farnum is a transferred surname rather than an inherited given name with its own separate history.
How Popular is the Name Farnum?
Farnum has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1924. Its best rank was #4,040 in 1924.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | #4,040 | 6 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with F
How the Name Farnum Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are kind, home-loving, hospitable and friendly. Since you take responsibility well, you are a good organizer of social affairs. Compassion for others is an outstanding trait. You are a great lover and a great flirt – an artist, musician, actor, teacher, nurse. Your character can be contradictory. You are practical, yet idealistic and intuitive; capable of selfless devotion to someone you love, yet look to receive payback. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Farnum's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Farnum's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.