Fairley Family History

Scottish: habitational name from any of several places called from Old English fæger ‘beautiful’ or fearn ‘fern’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’. Primarily from Fairlie in Ayrshire but perhaps occasionally from other places similarly named such as Fairley (Northumberland), Fairlee in Newport (Isle of Wight) and Fairliehope (Linton Peeblesshire).

A Scots family once known as de Ros adopted the name Fairlie when granted lands at Fairlie, Ayrshire by Robert the Bruce.

Irish: variant of Farrelly from Ó Fearghaile.