This interesting surname is of Gaelic origin, and is a Scottish patronymic from the given name "Fergus", from the Gaelic personal name "Fearghus", composed of the elements "fear", man, with "gus", vigour, force. A Feargus, late in the 5th Century, with his brother Angus, led the Scottish from Ireland to the country since called Scotland; they took with them to Scone the Stone of Destiny, now in the Coronation Chair. Ten Celtic aints bore the name. Gillebertus filius (son of) Fergusi is listed in the Pipe Rolls of Cumberland (1180), and Fergus filius Suein is noted in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire (1188). The popularity of the name is borne out by the number of surnames it generated, ranging from Fergus, Ferris, Farris and Fergie to Ferguson and Fergyson. Gilbert Feregus is registered in the 1199 Pipe Rolls of Cumberland. Robert Farries is recorded in Newbiggin (1648), and Agnes Faries was examined for the Test in Tinwald (1685). Recordings of the surname from Scottish Church Registers include: the christening of Agnes, daughter of John and Marion Farries, on March 13th 1702 at Edinburgh, Midlothian; and the christening of Andrew, son of Robert and Elizabeth Farries on January 24th 1792 at Hoddom, Dumfries. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Andrew Farie, which was dated October 3rd 1580, in the "Marriage Records of Glasgow", Lanarkshire, during the reign of King James V1 of Scotland, 1562 - 1625. 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.

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