Forbus History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

In Scottish history, few names go farther back than Forbus, whose ancestors lived among the clans of the Pictish tribe. They lived in the lands of Forbes on Aberdeenshire where the family's history dates back before 1000 AD

Early Origins of the Forbus family

The surname Forbus was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county, and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland, at Pitscottie from 1168, which was later named "the Braes of Forbes."

Legend has it that the founder of the Clan, Oconochar, slew a bear in order to take up residence there. One of the first records of the name from this region was Duncan de Forbeys who received a grant of lands c. 1272 from King Alexander III. Later, John de Fernboys was listed as rendering allegiance to King Edward I of England in 1296 and later still, William of Forbace was canon of Aberdeen in 1464. [1]

Early History of the Forbus family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Forbus research. Another 159 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1165, 1214, 1380, 1448, 1581, 1590, 1611, 1623, 1626, 1629, 1632, 1644, 1671, 1680, 1684, 1685, 1696, 1704, 1712, 1747 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Forbus History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Forbus Spelling Variations

The arts of spelling and translation were yet in their infancies when surnames began, so there are an enormous number of spelling variations of the names in early Scottish records. This is a particular problem with Scottish names because of the numerous times a name might have been loosely translated to English from Gaelic and back. Forbus has been spelled Forbes, Forbose, Forbess, Forbeis (Gaelic) and others.

Early Notables of the Forbus family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was Alexander de Forbes, (c. 1380-1448) 1st Lord Forbes, progenitor of the lordship. He was "the eldest son of Sir John de Forbes of that ilk. The lands of Forbes in Aberdeenshire gave name to the family, who trace back their ancestors in it to the time of King William the Lion (1165-1214). Sir John...
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Forbus Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Forbus family to Ireland

Some of the Forbus family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 134 words (10 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Forbus migration to the United States +

This oppression forced many Scots to leave their homelands. Most of these chose North America as their destination. Although the journey left many sick and poor, these immigrants were welcomed the hardy with great opportunity. Many of these settlers stood up for their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. More recently, Scots abroad have recovered much of their collective heritage through highland games and other patriotic functions and groups. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has located various settlers bearing the name Forbus:

Forbus Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Thomas Forbus, who landed in Maryland in 1716 [2]

Forbus Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Miss Forbus, who settled in America, in 1904
Mrs. M. S. Forbus, who landed in America, in 1904
Wiley Forbus, aged 26, who immigrated to the United States, in 1920
Elizabeth G. Forbus, aged 4, who landed in America from Bridgefort, Conn., in 1922
Sample B. Forbus, aged 31, who settled in Bridgefort, Conn., in 1922
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Forbus (post 1700) +

Ken Forbus, Walter P. Murphy Professor of Computer Science and Professor of Education at Northwestern University

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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)