diff --git a/src/Avalonia.Visuals/Media/FontFamily.cs b/src/Avalonia.Visuals/Media/FontFamily.cs
index 5c152cd8a0..a486723d86 100644
--- a/src/Avalonia.Visuals/Media/FontFamily.cs
+++ b/src/Avalonia.Visuals/Media/FontFamily.cs
@@ -11,46 +11,49 @@ namespace Avalonia.Media
 {
     public class FontFamily
     {
+        /// <inheritdoc />
         /// <summary>
         /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="T:Avalonia.Media.FontFamily" /> class.
         /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="name">The name of the <see cref="FontFamily"/>.</param>
-        /// <exception cref="T:System.ArgumentNullException">name</exception>
-        public FontFamily(string name)
+        /// <param name="name">The name of the <see cref="T:Avalonia.Media.FontFamily" />.</param>
+        public FontFamily(string name) : this(null, name)
         {
-            Contract.Requires<ArgumentNullException>(name != null);
-
-            FamilyNames = new FamilyNameCollection(new[] { name });
         }
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="T:Avalonia.Media.FontFamily" /> class.
         /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="names">The names of the <see cref="FontFamily"/>.</param>
-        /// <exception cref="T:System.ArgumentNullException">name</exception>
-        public FontFamily(IEnumerable<string> names)
+        /// <param name="baseUri">Specifies the base uri that is used to resolve font family assets.</param>
+        /// <param name="name">The name of the <see cref="T:Avalonia.Media.FontFamily" />.</param>
+        /// <exception cref="T:System.ArgumentException">Base uri must be an absolute uri.</exception>
+        public FontFamily(Uri baseUri, string name)
         {
-            Contract.Requires<ArgumentNullException>(names != null);
+            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(name))
+            {
+                FamilyNames = new FamilyNameCollection(string.Empty);
 
-            FamilyNames = new FamilyNameCollection(names);
-        }
+                return;
+            }
 
-        /// <inheritdoc />
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="T:Avalonia.Media.FontFamily" /> class.
-        /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="name">The name of the <see cref="T:Avalonia.Media.FontFamily" />.</param>
-        /// <param name="source">The source of font resources.</param>
-        /// <param name="baseUri"></param>
-        public FontFamily(string name, Uri source, Uri baseUri = null) : this(name)
-        {
-            Key = new FontFamilyKey(source, baseUri);
+            var fontFamilySegment = GetFontFamilyIdentifier(name);
+
+            if (fontFamilySegment.Source != null)
+            {
+                if (baseUri != null && !baseUri.IsAbsoluteUri)
+                {
+                    throw new ArgumentException("Base uri must be an absolute uri.", nameof(baseUri));
+                }
+
+                Key = new FontFamilyKey(fontFamilySegment.Source, baseUri);
+            }
+
+            FamilyNames = new FamilyNameCollection(fontFamilySegment.Name);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Represents the default font family
         /// </summary>
-        public static FontFamily Default => new FontFamily(String.Empty);
+        public static FontFamily Default => new FontFamily(string.Empty);
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Represents all font families in the system. This can be an expensive call depending on platform implementation.
@@ -88,46 +91,40 @@ namespace Avalonia.Media
         /// <param name="s"></param>
         public static implicit operator FontFamily(string s)
         {
-            return Parse(s);
+            return new FontFamily(s);
         }
 
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Parses a <see cref="T:Avalonia.Media.FontFamily"/> string.
-        /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="s">The <see cref="T:Avalonia.Media.FontFamily"/> string.</param>
-        /// <param name="baseUri"></param>
-        /// <returns></returns>
-        /// <exception cref="ArgumentException">
-        /// Specified family is not supported.
-        /// </exception>
-        public static FontFamily Parse(string s, Uri baseUri = null)
+        private struct FontFamilyIdentifier
         {
-            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(s))
+            public FontFamilyIdentifier(string name, Uri source)
             {
-                throw new ArgumentException("Specified family is not supported.");
+                Name = name;
+                Source = source;
             }
 
-            var segments = s.Split('#');
+            public string Name { get; }
+
+            public Uri Source { get; }
+        }
+
+        private static FontFamilyIdentifier GetFontFamilyIdentifier(string name)
+        {
+            var segments = name.Split('#');
 
             switch (segments.Length)
             {
                 case 1:
                     {
-                        var names = segments[0].Split(',')
-                            .Select(x => x.Trim())
-                            .Where(x => !string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(x));
-                        return new FontFamily(names);
+                        return new FontFamilyIdentifier(segments[0], null);
                     }
 
                 case 2:
                     {
-                        var uri = segments[0].StartsWith("/")
-                                      ? new Uri(segments[0], UriKind.Relative)
-                                      : new Uri(segments[0], UriKind.RelativeOrAbsolute);
+                        var source = segments[0].StartsWith("/")
+                            ? new Uri(segments[0], UriKind.Relative)
+                            : new Uri(segments[0], UriKind.RelativeOrAbsolute);
 
-                        return uri.IsAbsoluteUri
-                                   ? new FontFamily(segments[1], uri)
-                                   : new FontFamily(segments[1], uri, baseUri);
+                        return new FontFamilyIdentifier(segments[1], source);
                     }
 
                 default:
@@ -137,6 +134,25 @@ namespace Avalonia.Media
             }
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Parses a <see cref="T:Avalonia.Media.FontFamily"/> string.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="s">The <see cref="T:Avalonia.Media.FontFamily"/> string.</param>
+        /// <param name="baseUri">Specifies the base uri that is used to resolve font family assets.</param>
+        /// <returns></returns>
+        /// <exception cref="ArgumentException">
+        /// Specified family is not supported.
+        /// </exception>
+        public static FontFamily Parse(string s, Uri baseUri = null)
+        {
+            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(s))
+            {
+                throw new ArgumentException("Specified family is not supported.", nameof(s));
+            }
+
+            return new FontFamily(baseUri, s);
+        }
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Returns a <see cref="string" /> that represents this instance.
         /// </summary>
diff --git a/src/Avalonia.Visuals/Media/Fonts/FamilyNameCollection.cs b/src/Avalonia.Visuals/Media/Fonts/FamilyNameCollection.cs
index 50511d2fb7..acf0bbdb11 100644
--- a/src/Avalonia.Visuals/Media/Fonts/FamilyNameCollection.cs
+++ b/src/Avalonia.Visuals/Media/Fonts/FamilyNameCollection.cs
@@ -4,31 +4,28 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
-using System.Collections.ObjectModel;
 using System.Linq;
+using System.Text;
 
 namespace Avalonia.Media.Fonts
 {
-    using System.Text;
-
     public class FamilyNameCollection : IEnumerable<string>
-    {    
+    {
         /// <summary>
         /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="FamilyNameCollection"/> class.
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="familyNames">The family names.</param>
         /// <exception cref="ArgumentException">familyNames</exception>
-        public FamilyNameCollection(IEnumerable<string> familyNames)
+        public FamilyNameCollection(string familyNames)
         {
-            Contract.Requires<ArgumentNullException>(familyNames != null);
-
-            var names = new List<string>(familyNames);
-
-            if (names.Count == 0) throw new ArgumentException($"{nameof(familyNames)} must not be empty.");
+            if (familyNames == null)
+            {
+                throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(familyNames));
+            }
 
-            Names = new ReadOnlyCollection<string>(names);
+            Names = familyNames.Split(',').Select(x => x.Trim()).ToArray();
 
-            PrimaryFamilyName = Names.First();
+            PrimaryFamilyName = Names[0];
 
             HasFallbacks = Names.Count > 1;
         }
@@ -55,7 +52,7 @@ namespace Avalonia.Media.Fonts
         /// <value>
         /// The names.
         /// </value>
-        internal ReadOnlyCollection<string> Names { get; }
+        internal IReadOnlyList<string> Names { get; }
 
         /// <inheritdoc />
         /// <summary>
@@ -95,7 +92,10 @@ namespace Avalonia.Media.Fonts
             {
                 builder.Append(Names[index]);
 
-                if (index == Names.Count - 1) break;
+                if (index == Names.Count - 1)
+                {
+                    break;
+                }
 
                 builder.Append(", ");
             }
@@ -123,9 +123,12 @@ namespace Avalonia.Media.Fonts
         /// </returns>
         public override bool Equals(object obj)
         {
-            if (!(obj is FamilyNameCollection other)) return false;
+            if (!(obj is FamilyNameCollection other))
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
 
             return other.ToString().Equals(ToString());
         }
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/tests/Avalonia.Visuals.UnitTests/Media/FontFamilyTests.cs b/tests/Avalonia.Visuals.UnitTests/Media/FontFamilyTests.cs
index 4c7a89cbda..1cd1742f32 100644
--- a/tests/Avalonia.Visuals.UnitTests/Media/FontFamilyTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Avalonia.Visuals.UnitTests/Media/FontFamilyTests.cs
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 // Licensed under the MIT license. See licence.md file in the project root for full license information.
 
 using System;
-using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Linq;
 using Avalonia.Media;
 using Avalonia.Media.Fonts;
@@ -12,18 +11,6 @@ namespace Avalonia.Visuals.UnitTests.Media
 {
     public class FontFamilyTests
     {
-        [Fact]
-        public void Exception_Should_Be_Thrown_If_Name_Is_Null()
-        {
-            Assert.Throws<ArgumentNullException>(() => new FontFamily((string)null));
-        }
-
-        [Fact]
-        public void Exception_Should_Be_Thrown_If_Names_Is_Null()
-        {
-            Assert.Throws<ArgumentNullException>(() => new FontFamily((IEnumerable<string>)null));
-        }
-
         [Fact]
         public void Should_Implicitly_Convert_String_To_FontFamily()
         {
diff --git a/tests/Avalonia.Visuals.UnitTests/Media/Fonts/FamilyNameCollectionTests.cs b/tests/Avalonia.Visuals.UnitTests/Media/Fonts/FamilyNameCollectionTests.cs
index 14daf5bd8b..e7aa9daab3 100644
--- a/tests/Avalonia.Visuals.UnitTests/Media/Fonts/FamilyNameCollectionTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Avalonia.Visuals.UnitTests/Media/Fonts/FamilyNameCollectionTests.cs
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 // Licensed under the MIT license. See licence.md file in the project root for full license information.
 
 using System;
-using System.Linq;
 using Avalonia.Media.Fonts;
 using Xunit;
 
@@ -16,18 +15,12 @@ namespace Avalonia.Visuals.UnitTests.Media.Fonts
             Assert.Throws<ArgumentNullException>(() => new FamilyNameCollection(null));
         }
 
-        [Fact]
-        public void Exception_Should_Be_Thrown_If_Names_Is_Empty()
-        {
-            Assert.Throws<ArgumentException>(() => new FamilyNameCollection(Enumerable.Empty<string>()));
-        }
-
         [Fact]
         public void Should_Be_Equal()
         {
-            var familyNames = new FamilyNameCollection(new[] { "Arial", "Times New Roman" });
+            var familyNames = new FamilyNameCollection("Arial, Times New Roman");
 
-            Assert.Equal(new FamilyNameCollection(new[] { "Arial", "Times New Roman" }), familyNames);
+            Assert.Equal(new FamilyNameCollection("Arial, Times New Roman"), familyNames);
         }
     }
 }