Farnell is an English surname derived from places named Farnell across Britain. Farnell comes from Old English fearn meaning "fern" and hyll meaning "hill". Notable people with the surname include:Anthony Farnell, English boxer George Stanley Farnell (1861–95), classical scholar and educator, brother of Lewis Richard, below James Farnell (1825–1888), Australian politician Lewis Richard Farnell (1856–1934), Oxford classical scholar