Felde History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland

The origins of the Felde name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived in the area that was near a field. This surname is a topographic name and is derived from the Old English word feld, which literally means the pasture or open country. 1

In this case, the bearer of the surname Felde lived in an area of land that was cleared of forest.

Interestingly, "Field, or De la Felda embraces both English and Norman families. Richard de la Felda is mentioned in Normandy, temp John." [reign 1199-1216] 2 This duality of origin is indeed rare.

Early Origins of the Felde family

The surname Felde was first found in many shires and counties throughout Britain. Some of the earliest records show: Thomas atte Felde in the Writs of Parliament of 1301; William de la Felde in Gloucestershire during reign of King Edward I; and John de la Felde in Herefordshire at about the same time. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Linot ate [atte] Feld and William a la Feld in Oxfordshire. 3

Robert de Felde was listed as a Templar in Gloucestershire in 1185 and Hugo de la Felde was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1188. John del Feld was listed in Suffolk in 1190 and James atte Felde was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296. 4

Early History of the Felde family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Felde research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1407, 1519, 1520, 1530, 1542, 1546, 1549, 1554, 1558, 1560, 1561, 1574, 1577, 1579, 1582, 1583, 1587, 1588, 1592, 1599, 1606, 1609, 1616, 1620, 1624, 1625, 1633, 1636, 1640, 1676, 1782, 1837 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Felde History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Felde Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Felde were recorded, including Field, Feild, Felde and others.

Early Notables of the Felde family

Distinguished members of the family include

Roger Felde (fl. 1407), of Hereford, an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Hereford in 1407; Sir James Field of West Harrow; and Edmund Feilde (Field) (1620-1676), an English barrister a...

Migration of the Felde family to Ireland

Some of the Felde family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 232 words (17 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Felde migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Felde family emigrate to North America:

Felde Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Christian and Catharina Felde, who immigrated to Brazil in 1878

Citations +

Hargrave, Basil, Origins and Meanings of Popular Phrases & Names. London: T. Werner Laurie Ltd, Cobham House, 24 and 26 Black Friars Lane, 1949. Print
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)