This unusual and interesting surname is of Old German origin, and is from an occupational name for a dyer, derived from the German "farber", an agent derivative of the Middle High German "varwe", colour, itself deriving from the Old German pre 10th Century "farawa". Job-descriptive surnames originally denoted the actual occupation of the namebearer, and later became hereditary. The surname was introduced into England in the late 17th Century, the earliest recording in London being that of the christening of John Ferber, on June 28th 1672, at St.
Dunstan's, Stepney. The modern surname can be found as Ferber, Farber, Ferver and Faerber, and recordings in German Church Registers include the christening of Johannes Sebastian, son of Johan and Anna Maria Ferber, on November 25th 1608, at Landauin, Pfalz Stadt, Bayern, and the marriage of Johan Matthias Ferber and Cecilia Campermans, on July 2nd 1658, at Sankt Lambertus, Duesseldorf Stadt, Rheinland. A Coat of Arms granted to the Ferber family is a red shield with a gold cross pomel. In Heraldry red signifies Military Fortitude and Magnanimity, gold denotes Generosity and Elevation of Mind, and the cross is representative of the Christian Faith and the Love of God for sinful men. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Ludwig Ferber, which was dated January 11th 1562, christened at Annweiler Reformierte Lutherische, Pfalz, Bayern, Germany, during the reign of Ferdinand 1, Holy Roman Emperor, 1558 - 1564. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
The origin, the coat of arms or the different heraldic shields, and the bibliography in which the surname ferber is mentioned are part of this exciting investigation. Adhering to what we know about the way surnames originated, it is possible to offer a realistic explanation of the origins of ferber.
The list of countries with a higher presence of people with the surname ferber provides us with a perspective on the history of the surname, beyond its origins, focusing on its migrations.
For those like you, who are interested in the history hidden behind the surname ferber, it is essential to find all kinds of information, both direct and tangential, that helps to construct a solid narrative of how the birth and expansion of ferber developed. In the following lines, you will find everything we have been able to gather about the surname ferber.
We keep our website updated through our own research and also thanks to contributions from people like you, after verification; so if you have information about ferber and send it to us, we will update it on this website.
Sadly, not all the contributions of those who bore the surname ferber were recorded by the chroniclers of the time. If you or someone you know bears the surname ferber, you could potentially build illustrious lineages through your efforts and virtues.
The origin, history, coat of arms or different coats of arms, and the heraldry of ferber are recorded in a wide variety of sources and documents that are essential to know for better compilation. Accessing the archives of the town or towns where your ancestors were born and lived is, of course, a good way to trace the origins of ferber.
These sources are essential for initiating the understanding of ferber, and at the same time, of surnames in general.