Contents [hide]

Foote History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Foote History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Foote family's name is derived from the ancient Norman culture that was established in Britain following the Norman Conquest of island in 1066. Their name originated with an early member who was a person with remarkable feet. Nicknames were often used to distinguish a person by a noticeable physical characteristic. In this case the trait may have been very large feet, or feet which were deformed in some way. The name was originally derived from the Old English word fot which meant foot. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from a residence, in other words someone who lived at the "foot of a mountain". For the Footman variation, the obvious occupational origin as a soldier in the infantry applies and not as a domestic servant. 1

Early Origins of the Foote family

The surname Foote was first found in Cheshire where Ernui Fot was listed as an undertenant in the Domesday Book. The same reference lists Godwin Fot in Kent so one can presume that the name was polygenetic. 2

Another branch was found in the parish of Calstock in Cornwall. "The manor of Harwood or Harewood, which had been held under the dutchy of Cornwall by the family of Foote about fourscore years, was purchased in fee under the Land-tax Redemption Act in 1798, by John Pierson Foote, Esq. by whom it was sold to Thomas Bewes, Esq. Harewood House, which was built by Mr. Foote, is a handsome building situated about one mile from the church." 3

"Bodanua or Bodannan, [in the parish of St. Enoder, Cornwall] belonged for some time to the Footes of Lambesso, of whom it was purchased by Johnson Vivian, Esq." 3

Early History of the Foote family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Foote research. Another 132 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1450, 1520, 1592, 1646, 1649, 1651, 1652, 1679, 1683, 1687, 1720, 1737, 1744, 1754, 1761, 1766, 1767, 1769, 1777, 1779, 1780, 1781, 1782, 1785, 1797, 1810, 1814, 1826, 1833, 1840 and 1867 are included under the topic Early Foote History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Foote Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Foote include Foote, Foot, Fouts and others.

Early Notables of the Foote family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir Thomas Foote, 1st Baronet (1592-1687), English grocer in London, Sheriff of London in 1646 and Lord Mayor of the City of London in 1649
Jesse Foote(1744-1826), the English surgeon, was born at Charlton in Wiltshire in 1744. "He received a medical education in London, becoming a member of the Surgeons' Company, and about 1766 went to t...

Foote World Ranking

In the United States, the name Foote is the 1,993^rd most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 4 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Foote is ranked the 184^th most popular surname with an estimated 221 people with that name. 5 And in New Zealand, the name Foote is the 509^th popular surname with an estimated 1,356 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Foote family to Ireland

Some of the Foote family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Foote migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Footes to arrive on North American shores:

Foote Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Paul Foote, who landed in Massachusetts in 1620
Nathaniel Foote, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1634 7
Pasco Foote, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1640 7
Caleb Foote, who landed in New England in 1648 7
Tho Foote, who landed in Virginia in 1650 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Foote Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

George Foote, who landed in New York in 1795 7

Foote Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert Foote, who landed in Texas in 1835 7
F W Foote, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 7
C A Foote, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 7
Starr Foote, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 7
H B Foote, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Foote migration to Australia +

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

Foote Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Robert Foote, (b. 1811), aged 23, British Tailor who was convicted in Valetta, Malta for 7 years for desertion from the army, transported aboard the "Henry Tanner" on 27th June 1834, settling in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1897 8

Foote 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:

Foote Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. George Foote, (b. 1852), aged 25, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Marlborough" arriving in Bluff, South Island, New Zealand on 4th November 1877 9
Mr. E. Foote, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Tongariro" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand in 1887 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Foote (post 1700) +

Eunice Newton Foote (1819-1888), née Newton, American scientist, inventor, and women's rights campaigner, the first scientist to conclude that certain gases warmed when exposed to sunlight, and that rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels would change atmospheric temperature and could affect climate
Edward Thaddeus "Tad" Foote II (1937-2016), American educator, 4th President of the University of Miami (1981-2001)
Horton Foote (1916-2009), American playwright and screenwriter, perhaps best known for his screenplay for the 1962 film "To Kill a Mockingbird", for which he received an Academy Award. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1995 for his play "The Young Man From Atlanta"
Henry Stuart Foote (1804-1880), U.S. Senator (1847-1852) and Governor of Mississippi
Arthur William Foote (1853-1937), American composer
Admiral Andrew Hull Foote (1806-1863), American naval officer during the Civil War
Cyrel D. Foote, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kansas, 1996 11
Charles S. Foote, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Union County, 1900-01 11
Charles R. Foote (1871-1942), American Republican politician, Member of Michigan State House of Representatives from Kent County 2nd District, 1913-18 11
Charles M. Foote, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Minnesota, 1892 11
... (Another 47 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Foote family +

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. Reginald Eric Foote (1918-1941), Australian Cook (S) from Peterborough, South Australia, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 12

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
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 7th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/henry-tanner
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp