The story
- German · derived fromVorreiter
- Middle English · derived fromfereter“ferreter”
- English todayFerriter
Two possible origins: * Occupational surname for someone who hunts rabbits with ferrets, from Middle English fereter (“ferreter”); this surname is well-established also in Ireland. * Americanized spelling of German Vorreiter, an occupational surname for someone who rides ahead.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.