Forbush History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The story of the Forbush family begins in ancient Scotland among the Pictish clans. The Forbush family lived in the lands of Forbes on Aberdeenshire where the family's history dates back before 1000 AD

Early Origins of the Forbush family

The surname Forbush 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 Forbush family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Forbush 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 Forbush History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Forbush Spelling Variations

Translation has done much to alter the appearance of many Scottish names. It was a haphazard process that lacked a basic system of rules. Spelling variations were a common result of this process. Forbush has appeared Forbes, Forbose, Forbess, Forbeis (Gaelic) and others.

Early Notables of the Forbush 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 Forbush Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Forbush Ranking

In the United States, the name Forbush is the 12,634^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Forbush family to Ireland

Some of the Forbush 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.

Forbush migration to the United States +

Many Scots left their country to travel to the North American colonies in search of the freedom they could not find at home. Of those who survived the difficult voyage, many found the freedom they so desired. There they could choose their own beliefs and allegiances. Some became United Empire Loyalists and others fought in the American War of Independence. The Clan societies and highland games that have sprung up in the last century have allowed many of these disparate Scots to recover their collective national identity. A search of immigration and passenger ship lists revealed many early settlers bearing the Forbush name:

Forbush Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jon Forbush, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 3
Hugh Forbush, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 3
John Forbush, who landed in Virginia in 1650 3
James Forbush, who landed in Maryland in 1662 3

Forbush Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Ruben Forbush, who landed in New England in 1718 3

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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)