Explore the Family Name Varian

The meaning of Varian

1. Cornish: perhaps in some instances from the rare French surname Varion, mainly found in the département of Allier in central France. It is said to be a pet form of Varier, from the ancient Germanic personal name Warihari, composed of elements denoting ‘protection’ and ‘army’. One of the earliest known bearers of this surname in England, William Varion, is listed in 1524 as an alien living in Helston, Cornwall, and may have been of French birth. Alternatively, the surname, when spelled Ver(r)ian from the 17th century onward, may have originated in Cornwall, namely from the placename Veryan, which is recorded as Verian in 1607, Severian in 1525, and Seyntveryan in 1534. These are shortenings and re-interpretations of the original name, recorded as Sanctus Symphorianus in 1281, from the dedication of its church to a Gaulish martyr of the 2nd or 3rd century. It is also possible that some examples of Ver(r)ian, Verryan, Veryon could be variants of Verran with an intrusive -i-, but these hypotheses cannot be evaluated without more evidence. 2. Irish (Cork): of uncertain origin. The name has been associated with County Cork since the mid-17th century, but whether it belongs with 1 or is an obscure name of Irish origin is unknown. An Irish poet of this name used the Irish form Ó Bhiorráin. 3. Slovak and Rusyn (from Slovakia): very rare variant, and an Americanized form, of Varjan, unexplained.

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