Fernald is a

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

surname typical of 18th and 19th century wealthy French upperclass and

aristocratic Aristocracy (; ) is a form of government that places power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. Across Europe, the aristocracy exercised immense economic, political, and social influence. In Western Christian co ...

families of

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...

from

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and

Monaco Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...

, also found in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, notably in the

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

states.
The first known Fernald in the United States was Dr. Renald Fernald, a ship's doctor who landed on the shores of Portsmouth, NH in 1631. Fernald is a topographic name adapted from Olde French "''four'nelle''," the first French word for " furnace." Wealthy French

immigrants Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...

in the United States

Germanized Germanisation, or Germanization, is the spread of the German language, people, and culture. It was a central idea of German conservative thought in the 19th and the 20th centuries, when conservatism and ethnic nationalism went hand in hand. In l ...

the surname into a number of spellings to better fit in with the vast number of

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

descendants during the late 1880s. With the abolishment of entitlements, estates, and tax-exemption of the noble families in France, following the fall of the First French Empire after the year 1805, many descendants of the nobles, aristocrats, and wealthy left the country. The largest number of immigrants with the Fernald surname immigrated to North America from cities and wealthy towns in Northern-

, Southern-France and present-day

to the

and Eastern-

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

between the years 1790 and 1890, most of whom settled in

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, and

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

. Present-day, the Fernald surname is still almost exclusively associated with wealthy upperclass causcasian European and American academics, lawyers, physicians, businesspeople, and politicians. Alternative variations of the surname include, Fernault, Fernaux, Forneret, Fornerat, Varnault, Varnaux, Varnot, Vernet, Vernett, Vernette, and Vernes.
Fernald Ancestry People with the surname include: *

Anne Fernald Anne Fernald is an American psychologist. She serves as the Josephine Knotts Knowles Professor in Human Biology at Stanford University and has been described as "the leading researcher in infant-directed speech". Fernald received a Ph.D. in psyc ...

(fl. 1980s–2020s), American professor of psychology at Stanford University *

Bert M. Fernald Bert Manfred Fernald (April 3, 1858August 23, 1926) was an American farmer, businessman, and Republican politician who became the 47th governor of Maine and a United States senator. He was chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Publ ...

(1858–1926), Governor and Senator from Maine * Charles H. Fernald (1838–1921), American economic entomologist, father of Henry T. Fernald * Chester Bailey Fernald (1869–1938), American author and playwright * Grace Fernald (1879–1950), American educational psychologist and literacy advocate * Harold Allen Fernald (born 1932), American publishing executive and philanthropist *

James C. Fernald James Champlin Fernald (August 18, 1838 – November 11, 1918)Maria Elizabeth Fernald Maria Elizabeth Smith Fernald (May 24, 1839 – October 6, 1919) was an American entomologist who wrote a major reference book, ''A Catalogue of the Coccidae of the World''. She was also instrumental in identifying the caterpillar form of the eco ...

(1839-1919), American entomologist, wife of Charles *

Merritt Lyndon Fernald Merritt Lyndon Fernald (October 5, 1873 – September 22, 1950) was an American botanist. He was a respected scholar of the Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy and phytogeography of the vascular plant flora of temperate eastern North America. During his ...

(1873–1950), American botanist * Theodore B. Fernald (born 1960), linguistics professor at Swarthmore College

References

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See also

References