Contents [hide]

Fellows History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Fellows History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Fellows is an ancient Anglo-Saxon name. It was a name given to a person who was a friend or comrade. The surname Fellows originally derived from the Old English word Feolaza which affectionately meant "partner" or "shareholder." As a surname, it was likely taken on by a member of a trade guild.

"Besides its more proper meaning of ' companion,' the word Fellow is used in some dialects to signify a young unmarried man, or a servant engaged in husbandry. Chaucer uses the phrase 'a proper felawe' to denote a well-formed young man." 1

Early Origins of the Fellows family

The surname Fellows was first found in Huntingdon. However another branch of the family was later found at Shotesham in Norfolk. "Shotesham Park, the seat of Robert Fellowes, Esq., is a handsome mansion, erected by the late Mr. Fellowes, near the site of the ancient Hall, which was surrounded with a moat. " 2

Walter Felagh was one of the first records of the family. He was listed in the Assize Rolls of Northumberland in 1256. Robert le Felagh was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327. 3 John Felagh was listed in Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year's reign of Edward III.) 4

Early History of the Fellows family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fellows research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1820 and 1910 are included under the topic Early Fellows History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fellows Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Fellows has appeared include Fellow, Fellows, Fellowes, Felloe and others.

Early Notables of the Fellows family

More information is included under the topic Early Fellows Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fellows Ranking

In the United States, the name Fellows is the 4,422^nd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 5 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Fellows is ranked the 998^th most popular surname with an estimated 6,952 people with that name. 6

Fellows migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Fellows arrived in North America very early:

Fellows Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard Fellows, who settled in Connecticut in 1630
Samuel Fellows, who landed in New England in 1645 7

Fellows Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Fellows, who landed in New England in 1711 7
Ambrose Fellows, who landed in Virginia in 1719 7
Abraham and Ann Fellows, who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1765

Fellows Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Caleb Fellows, who settled in New Orleans in 1822
P Fellows, aged 35, who arrived in Key West, Fla in 1837 7
A M Fellows, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 7
C Fellows, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 7
G Fellows, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fellows migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Fellows Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Peter Fellows, English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Canada" on 23rd April 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
George Fellows, English convict from Warwick, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on May 17, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 9
Mrs. Elizabeth Fellows, (b. 1807), aged 25, English needle woman who was convicted in Coventry, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Fanny" on 14th July 1832, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Miss Fellows, (b. 1830), aged 2 years 6 months, English settler travelling with convict Mrs. Elizabeth Fellows, transported aboard the "Fanny" on 14th July 1832, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. George Fellows, English convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Fairlie" on 14th October 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fellows migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Fellows Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

H. Fellows, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ballarat" in 1867

Contemporary Notables of the name Fellows (post 1700) +

Edwin R. Fellows (1865-1945), American inventor and founder of the Fellows Gear Shaper Company; he received 39 patents pertaining to gear shaping, generating, grinding and measuring machines
Robert Fellows (1903-1969), American film producer and once a production partner with John Wayne and later with Mickey Spillane
Mike Fellows (b. 1965), American musician known as Mighty Flashlight
Michael Ralph "Mike" Fellows (b. 1952), American academic, computer scientist and the Elite Professor of Computer Science in the Department of Informatics at the University of Bergen, Norway
Michael Charles "'Mike" Fellows (1957-2016), American politician and former Army reservist
John R. Fellows (1832-1896), American politician, U.S. Representative from New York
Graham Fellows (b. 1959), English comedy actor and musician from Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire, best known for creating the characters of John Shuttleworth and Jilted John
Harvey Fellows (1826-1907), English cricketer and brother of Walter Fellows
Walter Fellows (1834-1901), English cricketer who later became a clergyman in Australia. He was the brother of Harvey Fellows, who also played first-class cricket
Sir Charles Fellows (1799-1860), English archaeologist born at Nottingham in August 1799, son of John Fellows, a banker and a gentleman of fortune 12
... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Fellows Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Patientia et perseverantia cum magnanimitate
Motto Translation: Patience and perseverance with magnanimity.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1823
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fanny
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020