Show ContentsFudge History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Fudge is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Fudge comes from the Germanic personal name Fulcher. It is composed of the elements folk, which means people, and hari, which means army.

Early Origins of the Fudge family

The surname Fudge was first found in Lincolnshire and Derbyshire where they were granted lands about the time of William the Conqueror. Historically, the Fulchers were known as the Champions of Burgundy and records were found of the name spelt Fulchere in Normandy (1180-1195). 1 The name could have also been derived from the Ango-Saxon word "folgere", in other words a follower, an attendant, a free-man who did not have a house of his own. 2

Early History of the Fudge family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fudge research. Another 168 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1170, 1272, 1273, 1284, 1307, 1379, 1617, 1690, 1737, 1795, 1803, 1830, 1855 and 1893 are included under the topic Early Fudge History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fudge Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Fulcher, Fulger, Fulker, Fucher, Fullager, Folker, Foucar, Foulger, Futcher, Folger, Fugler, Fuche, Fuge, Fuidge, Fudge, Foutch and many more.

Early Notables of the Fudge family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Walter Fulcher of Lincolnshire, Thomas Fulcher (1737-1803), a British architect, George Williams Fulcher (1795-1855), a well-known poet, and John...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fudge Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fudge Ranking

In the United States, the name Fudge is the 6,494th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Fudge is ranked the 100th most popular surname with an estimated 323 people with that name. 4

Ireland Migration of the Fudge family to Ireland

Some of the Fudge family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Fudge migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Fudge or a variant listed above were:

Fudge Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Sarah Fudge, who landed in Virginia in 1713 5

Canada Fudge migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Fudge Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • John Fudge, who was recorded at Battle Harbour, Newfoundland in 1795 6
Fudge Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Daniel Fudge, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1826

Australia Fudge migration to Australia +

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

Fudge Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Fudge, British convict who was convicted in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada for 14 years transported aboard the "Forfarshire" on 24th June 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
  • Edward Fudge, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Caspar" in 1849 8
  • William Fudge, aged 43, a miner, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Omega"
  • Eliza Jane Fudge, aged 20, a cook, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Confiance" 9
  • Miss Elizabeth Fudge, (b. 1868), aged 21, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Selkirkshire" arriving in Queensland, Australia on 18th December 1886 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Fudge (post 1700) +

  • Marcia Louise Fudge (b. 1952), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio (2008-), United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Nominee
  • Edward William Fudge (1944-2017), American Christian theologian and lawyer, best known for his book The Fire that Consumes
  • Alan Fudge (b. 1944), American actor, known for his recurring roles in Man from Atlantis, Eischied, Paper Dolls and Bodies of Evidence
  • Robert Fudge, American football coach in the United States
  • Jamaal Fudge (b. 1983), American football safety
  • Ann Marie Fudge (b. 1951), former American chairman and CEO of Young & Rubicam Brands
  • Paula Fudge (b. 1952), retired English female long-distance runner
  • Kathryn Fudge (b. 1989), British handball player at the 2012 Summer Olympics
  • Philip Thomas Fudge (1884-1938), Newfoundland educator, businessman, civil servant and politician who represented Hermitage in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 1928 to 1932

HMS Dorsetshire
  • Walter Fudge, British aboard the HMS Dorsetshire (1945) when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he survived the sinking 11
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Albert Edward Fudge, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking, also sailed aboard the HMS Stronghold killed in action 12
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. William Frederick John Fudge, British Cook "S", who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 13


  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. 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)
  5. 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)
  6. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/forfarshire
  8. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The CASPAR 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Caspar.htm
  9. South Australian Register Tuesday 30th November 1858. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Confiance 1858. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/confiance1858.shtml
  10. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_queensland.pdf
  11. Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html
  12. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  13. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook