Varney
An English surname most likely from a place-name, often explained as a variant of Verney or Vernham.
The #4,169 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 36,314 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Varney is usually treated as a locational name. Some 19th-century writers linked it to Verney or to Vernham (Hampshire), while others connected it with a Norman place-name such as Varaville. The forms suggest that the spelling varied a great deal over time, and that the modern surname may preserve an older place-name in altered shape.
History
Historical references show the name in England by the medieval period, with spellings such as Verney and Varney appearing in different records. Later surname books and regional studies place it especially in southern and central England. Because the evidence points to several possible place-name sources, the exact origin of any one family line can be hard to pin down.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One major surname study explicitly notes that Varney and Verney were often treated as related or interchangeable forms in older sources.
From the historical record
“and the genit. of siiileach, sharp, prop, sharp-sighted] VARNEY = Verney, q.v. VARNHAM ] (Eng.) Bel. to Vernham (Hants), VARNAM ^ 13th cent. r^^KMOT. If this 13th- VARNUM J cent, form can be trusted the h in the name is intrusive, -um being the O.E. dat. pi. suff ; the name therefore”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)Notable people named Varney
- Jim Varney (1949–2000)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.