| ![Show Contents]() Fals History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The name Fals reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Fals family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Fals family lived in Midlothian. The name comes from the Old English word fall, which, strangely, could indicate someone who lived near either a waterfall or a meadow. Another derivation suggests that the name is a local reference to the area of Falaise, Normandy. Time has confused the two derivations, and it is now extremely difficult to tell which is appropriate in a given case. 1 Early Origins of the Fals familyThe surname Fals was first found in Midlothian where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. The Falle variant is now native to Jersey in the Channel Islands, but was originally from Lancashire where Gilbert de la Falle was recorded in the Assize Rolls of 1263. William de Fall was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1255 in Oxfordshire and Geoffrey del Falles was found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297. 1 The Fallas or Fallis variant dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first recorded by William de Faleise, de Falisia in Wiltshire. 2 Early History of the Fals familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fals research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1165, 1421, 1453, 1567, 1656, 1694, 1736 and 1742 are included under the topic Early Fals History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Fals Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Falla, Fala, Falle, Falls, Fallows, Fallis and many more. Early Notables of the Fals familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was George Fala Scottish Ambassador. Philip Falle (1656-1742) was a clergyman and historian of Jersey. He was born in the parish of St. Saviour in Jersey and was sent to England at a very early...
Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fals Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Fals familyBecause of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Fals name or one of its variants: Benjamin Fallis who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1765 with his sister; Nancy Fallis settled in New York State in 1803; Edward Fallowes settled in Virginia in 1623..
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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