| ![Show Contents]() Foraker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Ireland Hundreds of years ago, the Gaelic name used by the Foraker family in Ireland was Ó Fuarain or in some records Ó Furanain. Early Origins of the Foraker familyThe surname Foraker was first found in Connacht (Irish: Connachta, (land of the) descendants of Conn), where they were firstly known as Macgiollarnath or Mac Gilla na Naomh, meaning 'son of the devotee of the saints', which, through mistranslation and time emerged as an off-shoot of the main Clan through a chieftain O'Fuarthain or O'Fuarain, which, in English, became Foraker. Early History of the Foraker familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Foraker research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1355 and 1816 are included under the topic Early Foraker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Foraker Spelling VariationsPronunciation, rather than spelling, guided scribes and church officials when recording names during the Middle Ages. This practice often resulted in one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Foraker are preserved in these old documents. The various spellings of the name that were found include Foran, Forhane, Forahan, Forhan, Foreham and many more. Early Notables of the Foraker familyMore information is included under the topic Early Foraker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Foraker familyA massive amount of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century for North America and Australia in hopes of finding more opportunities and an escape from discrimination and oppression. A great portion of these migrants arrived on the eastern shores of the North American continent. Although they were generally poor and destitute, and, therefore, again discriminated against, these Irish people were heartily welcomed for the hard labor involved in the construction of railroads, canals, roadways, and buildings. Many others were put to work in the newly established factories or agricultural projects that were so essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the world. The Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s initiated the largest wave of Iris immigration. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name Foraker or a variant listed above: Jno Forehead, who came to Virginia in 1653; Gillian Forehand, who arrived in Maryland in 1671; John Foran who settled in New York State in 1804;Patrick Forehan was a merchant in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1770.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Foraker (post 1700) | + |
- Lois Foraker, American actress, known for her work on Gremlins (1984), Child's Play 3 (1991), The Exorcist III (1990) and M*A*S*H
- Joseph Benson Foraker (1846-1917), American politician, 37th Governor of Ohio from 1886 to 1890 and a Republican United States Senator from 1897 until 1909, eponym an proponent of the Foraker Act
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: Lucrum Christi mihi
Motto Translation: Without Christ, there is no light.
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