Explore the Family Name Farnell

The meaning of Farnell

English: habitational name from any of various places called from Old English fearn ‘fern’ + hyll ‘hill’, such as Farnell (Kent, Wiltshire), Farnhill (Yorkshire), and Fernhill (Cheshire). In a few cases it may also derive from Farnell in Angus, Scotland, although the surname is not now common in Scotland.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Farnell in the United States?

According to the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname 'Farnell' saw a decrease in popularity between the years 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked at 23,617 and this ranking fell by approximately 9.62% to 25,889 in 2010. The count of people with the Farnell surname also dipped from 1,001 in 2000 to 950 in 2010, marking a reduction of 5.09%. This implies that for every 100k people, there was a decline of 13.51% in the proportion of individuals with this last name.

20002010Change
Rank#23,617#25,889-9.62%
Count1,001950-5.09%
Proportion per 100k0.370.32-13.51%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Farnell

The ethnic identities associated with the surname 'Farnell' also witnessed some significant changes between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. While individuals who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander went from 1.10% to zero, those identifying with two or more races rose from none to 1.58%. The largest ethnic group, white, saw a slight decrease from 85.41% to 81.05%. There was an impressive increase in the Hispanic category, which jumped from 1.20% to 2.74%, representing a 128.33% change. The percentage of those identifying as Black increased marginally from 11.39% to 13.05%. There were no individuals who identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.

20002010Change
White85.41%81.05%-5.1%
Black11.39%13.05%14.57%
Hispanic1.2%2.74%128.33%
Two or More Races0%1.58%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander1.1%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%