Profile Text
Farage in 2012, photo by Prphotos.com
Birth Name: Nigel Paul Farage
Place of Birth: Downe, Kent, England, U.K.
Date of Birth: 3 April, 1964
Ethnicity: English, one eighth German, small amount of Irish, possibly remote French Huguenot
Nigel Farage is a British politician, broadcaster, and political analyst. He has been Leader of Reform UK, since 3 June, 2024, and, previously, from 22 March, 2019 to 6 March, 2021; and a Member of Parliament for Clacton, since 4 July, 2024. He has also been Chairman of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), from 1998 to 22 January 2000, a Member of the European Parliament for South East England, from 10 June, 1999 to 31 January, 2020, Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy, from 20 July, 2004 to 1 July, 2019, Leader of UKIP, from 27 September, 2006 to 27 November, 2009, again, from 5 November, 2010 to 16 September, 2016, and again, from 5 October, 2016 to 28 November, 2016; and Honorary President of Reform UK, from 6 March, 2021 to 3 June, 2024.
Nigel is the son of Barbara and Guy Justus Oscar Farage, who was a stockbroker, and worked in antiques. He has two children with his former wife, Irish nurse Gráinne Hayes; and two children with his wife Kirsten Mehr. Kirsten is from Germany.
Nigel’s paternal grandfather was Harry Farage (the son of Daniel Savory Farage and Lucy Susannah Moynihan). Harry was born in Canterbury, Kent. Daniel was born in Croydon, Greater London, the son of Edward Farage/possibly Ferridge, and Sarah Savory. Lucy was born in London, the daughter of Thomas Moynihan, whose parents were Irish immigrants; and of Grace Hannah Stephenson.
Nigel’s paternal grandmother was Gladys Victoria Schrod (the daughter of Carl/Charles Justus Schrod and Ellen Louisa Abbott). Carl was born in Camden, London, to German immigrants, Nicholas Schrod, from Frankfurt, Hessen; and Bena Göring. Ellen was born in Surrey.
Nigel’s maternal grandfather was named Robert R. Stevens.
Nigel’s maternal grandmother was named Ada M. Norris.
Nigel is a second cousin, once removed, of painter Rodrigo Moynihan. Nigel’s paternal great-great-grandparents, Thomas Moynihan and Grace Hannah Stephenson, were also Rodrigo’s great-grandparents.
Tabloid The Daily Mail has written that Nigel is a descendant of Georgius Ferauge, a French Huguenot who fled religious persecution in France. Georgius was born in Fumay, France, in 1681, and moved to Swallowfield, Berkshire, in the early 1700s. His name was anglicised to George Ferridge, and Ferridge later became Farage.
There are records of a George Farridge in Swallowfield, Berkshire, at the right time, who is an ancestor of Nigel’s. However, it is not clear if he was from France or not. There were many people with the surname Ferauge living in Fumay, but no Georgius Ferauge. There are records of a Bernard Georges Ferauge, who was born, c. 1681, in Fumay. This matches the statement made by The Daily Mail, but it is not clear whether Bernard was an immigrant to Britain or not. Nigel himself has stated that he has Huguenot ancestry.
Sources: Genealogy of Nigel Farage – http://www.geni.com
Notes about Nigel’s ancestry – http://www.familytreeforum.com http://www.express.co.uk