Ferney-Voltaire is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France. It lies between the Jura mountains and the Swiss border and forms part of the metropolitan area of Geneva. History Ferney was first noted in 14th-century Burgundian registers as "Fernex." Four centuries later, however, Voltaire changed the "x" to a "y" due to the excessive number of towns in the region with names ending in "x," such as Maconnex, Saconnex, Gex, Versonnex, Ornex. During Voltaire's reign over Ferney in the secon… (More on Ferney)