Farrah Name Meaning, Origin & Popularity

At a Glance: Name: Farrah – Meaning: ironworker, smith (variant of the occupational surname Farrar) – Origin: English (surname, from Middle English) – Gender: used for both boys and girls – Pronunciation: FAR-uh

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Farrah is an English name rooted in the occupational surname Farrar, meaning 'ironworker' or 'smith.' You may have come across the claim that it's a variant of the Arabic name Farah, meaning 'joy' — but per Wiktionary, that's a folk conflation, and the name actually traces back to that English surname instead. So if you're drawn to Farrah, its real backstory is a trade name, not a word for happiness.

Meaning & Origin of Farrah

Meaning: Ironworker, smith (variant of the occupational surname Farrar).

Origin: English (surname, from Middle English).

A common claim: Believed to mean 'joy' or 'happiness,' as a variant of the Arabic name Farah Actually: Farrah actually derives from the English occupational surname Farrar, meaning "ironworker, smith" — not from the Arabic name Farah, despite the popular association with "joy" or "happiness."

Source: Wiktionary.

How to Pronounce Farrah

Phonetic: FAR-uh   IPA: /ˈfærə/

Popularity of Farrah

Farrah peaked in 1977, when it ranked #177 with 1,515 babies given the name. Over the following decades it fell sharply, landing at #1150 in 2024 with just 209 babies — a steep decline across the SSA's 1968-2024 data range.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1968–2024.

Make Farrah Name Art

Free printable nursery art for Farrah, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.

Names With a Similar Story

Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.

• Silvia
• Kristopher
• Marc
• Toby
• Wendy
• Hasan

FAQ

What does the name Farrah mean?

Ironworker, smith (variant of the occupational surname Farrar). (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Farrah)

How do you pronounce Farrah?

Farrah is pronounced FAR-uh (IPA: /ˈfærə/).

Is Farrah a popular name right now?

Farrah peaked at #177 in 1977 and is ranked #1150 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1968–2024.)

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