Contents [hide]

Fyfe History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Fyfe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The story of the Fyfe family begins in ancient Scotland among the Pictish clans. The Fyfe family lived in the county of Fife. The surname Fyfe belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. As a general rule, the greater the distance between individuals and their homelands, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, people who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came.

Early Origins of the Fyfe family

The surname Fyfe was first found in Fife, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Fyfe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fyfe research. Another 181 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1436, 1447, 1453, 1454, 1462 and 1464 are included under the topic Early Fyfe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fyfe 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. Fyfe has appeared Fyfe, Fife, Fyffe, Phyfe, Phyffe and others.

Early Notables of the Fyfe family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

Andrew Fyfe of Angus

Fyfe Ranking

In the United States, the name Fyfe is the 11,550^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Fyfe family to Ireland

Some of the Fyfe family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fyfe 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 Fyfe name:

Fyfe Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Fyfe, who arrived in Virginia in 1729 2

Fyfe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Margaret Fyfe, who settled in New York State in 1820
Robert Fyfe, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 2

Fyfe migration to Australia +

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

Fyfe Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Alexander Fyfe, a coppersmith, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
Miss Ann Fyfe, Scottish convict who was convicted in Perth, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth and Henry" on 14th September 1846, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
John Fyfe, aged 23, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Oregon" 4
James Fyfe, aged 28, a miner, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Sultana" 5
Thomas Fyfe, aged 27, a miner, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Sultana" 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fyfe migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Fyfe Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Robert Fyfe, who landed in Kaikoura, New Zealand in 1842
Miss Margaret Fyfe, (b. 1837), aged 25, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 6
Mr. Thomas Fyfe, (b. 1838), aged 24, British mechanic travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 6
Mr. David Fyfe, (b. 1837), aged 24, British farm labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Mystery" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 7th January 1862 6
Miss Lillias Fyfe, (b. 1840), aged 26, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship "John Temperley" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st June 1866 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Fyfe (post 1700) +

Lucius Columbus "Lee" Fyfe (1879-1942), American professional baseball umpire
James J. Fyfe (1942-2005), American criminologist
Graham Fyfe (1951-2022), Scottish professional footballer, best known for his time with Rangers, who played as a winger ( 1969-1976) where he made 64 appearances
Maria Fyfe (1938-2020), née O'Neill, a Scottish politician, Member of Parliament for Glasgow Maryhill from 1987 to 2001
William Baxter Collier Fyfe (1836-1882), Scottish painter, born at Dundee about 1836, and brought up in the neighbouring village of Carnoustie 7
Andrew Fyfe the Elder (1754-1824), Scottish anatomist, born probably at Corstorphine, near Edinburgh, where his father lived 7
Christopher Fyfe (1920-2008), Scottish historian most noted for his work on Sierra Leone
Andrew Fyfe the Younger (1792-1861), Scottish surgeon and chemist
Graham Fyfe (b. 1982), Scottish professional football player
Robert Douglas Fyfe (1930-2021), Scottish actor, best known for his role as Howard in the long-running British sitcom Last of the Summer Wine from 1985 to 2010
... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Fyfe family +

Halifax Explosion

Mr. Alexander Thompson Fyfe B.E.F (1895-1917), Canadian stationed in the Armouries as Private Black Watch Regiment from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who survived the Halifax Explosion (1917) but later died due to injuries 8

RMS Lusitania

Mrs. Jeanie Fyfe, American 2nd Class passenger from Holyoke, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 9

The Fyfe 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: Virtute et opera
Motto Translation: By virtue and energy.

Citations +

"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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth-and-henry
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The barque OREGON, 521 tons - 1851 voyage to South Australia. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Oregon.htm
South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SULTANA 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/sultana1852.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/