Ferry
A surname that most often meant someone who lived or worked at a ferry crossing.
The #3,467 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 29,940 Americans shares it.
Etymology
In English surname use, Ferry most commonly comes from Middle English 'ferry,' meaning a river crossing by boat, so it described someone who lived by, worked at, or was responsible for a ferry. Some early writers also connected it with a place-name or with the personal name Frederick, but those explanations are less certain and less common. In French contexts, similar forms can also reflect place-names or older personal-name forms, so the surname may have more than one origin in different families.
History
The name appears in medieval records in forms such as Ferry, Ferrey, and Ferroy, especially in local or occupational contexts. It was used for people associated with ferry crossings before bridges became common and ferrymen were important local figures. In some families the name later overlapped with French or Scottish surname forms, which can make individual lineages harder to trace.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname dictionaries noted that ferrymen were especially important in the days before bridges were widespread.
From the historical record
“FERRIS. FERRIES. See Ferrers. FERRY. 1. From residence near one. 2. Possibly however from fer ey, the remote or distant island. 3. Camden says, "For Frederick th' English have commonly used Frery and Fery, which Iiath been now a long time a Cliristiau Jiame in the ancient family of Tilney, and lucky to their house…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United KingdomNotable people named Ferry
- Bryan Ferry (b. 1945)
- Jules Ferry (1832–1893)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.