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Forrestal History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Forrestal History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
England

The Anglo-Norman Conquest of Ireland lead by Strongbow introduced the first non-Gaelic elements into Irish nomenclature. These Anglo-Normans brought some traditions to Ireland that were not readily found within Gaelic system of hereditary surnames. One of the best examples of this is the local surname. Local surnames, such as Forrestal, were taken from the name of a place or a geographical feature where the person lived, held land, or was born. These surnames were very common in England, but were almost non-existent within Ireland previous to the conquest. The earliest surnames of this type came from Normandy, but as the Normans moved, they often created names in reference to where they actually resided. Therefore, some settlers eventually took names from Irish places. Originally, these place names were prefixed by "de," which means "from" in French. This type of prefix was eventually either made a part of the surname, if the place name began with a vowel, or was eliminated entirely. The Forrestal family originally lived near a paddock, which is a small grassy enclosed area in which horses can graze and exercise. The surname Forrestal is derived from a dialectical word which means paddock. The surname Forrestal belongs to the large category of Anglo-Norman habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Forrestal family

The surname Forrestal was first found in Kent, where they held a family seat as Lords of the manor of Forstall, and were granted the lands by William the Conqueror for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Forrestal family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Forrestal research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1359 and 1682 are included under the topic Early Forrestal History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Forrestal Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, a single person often had their name recorded by church officials and scribes many different ways. Names were typically spelt as they sounded, which resulted in many different spelling variations. The many versions of the name Forrestal to have been recorded over the years include: Forristal, Forristall, Forrestal, Forrestall, Forrestell, Forestal, Forestel, Forestall, Forestell, Forstal, Forstall, Furstal and many more.

Early Notables of the Forrestal family

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

Forrestal migration to the United States +

Ireland's Great Potato Famine left the country's inhabitants in extreme poverty and starvation. Many families left their homeland for North America for the promise of work, freedom and land ownership. Although the Irish were not free of economic and racial discrimination in North America, they did contribute greatly to the rapid development of bridges, canals, roads, and railways. Eventually, they would be accepted in other areas such as commerce, education, and the arts. An examination of immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Forrestal:

Forrestal Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Forrestal, who landed in New York in 1842 1

Forrestal Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Edmond Forrestal, aged 17, who immigrated to the United States from County Waterford, Ireland in 1904
Edward Forrestal, aged 20, who landed in America from County Waterford, in 1904
Kate Forrestal, aged 21, who landed in America from Newport, in 1906
Patrick Forrestal, aged 26, who immigrated to the United States from Enniscorthy, Ireland, in 1907
William Forrestal, aged 24, who immigrated to America from Enniscorthy, Ireland, in 1907
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Forrestal migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Forrestal Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Elener Forrestal, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1803
Thomas Forrestal, a planter in Bareneed, Newfoundland in 1871 2

Forrestal migration to Australia +

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

Forrestal Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Robert Forrestal, aged 18, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "William Stevenson" 3
Deborah Forrestal, aged 24, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "William Stevenson" 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Forrestal (post 1700) +

James Forrestal (1892-1949), 1st United States Secretary of Defense (1947-1949), eponym of the USS Forrestal and the James V. Forrestal Building
Michael Vincent Forrestal (1927-1989), American aide to McGeorge Bundy, the National Security Advisor of President John F. Kennedy
Frank Forrestal, American politician, Representative from Wisconsin 5th District, 1980 4
Francis V. Forrestal, American politician, Socialist Workers Candidate for Mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 2001 4
Terence Julian Forrestal (1948-2000), English actor, stuntman and BASE jumper

The Forrestal 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: In corda inimicorum regis
Motto Translation: In the King's enemies

Citations +

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)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
South Australian Register Friday 2nd February 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) William Stevenson 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/williamstevenson1855.shtml
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html